MSA Safety showcases firefighter search, rescue device on FirstNet
20 April 2023 – MSA Safety, Inc. has announced that its handheld LUNAR connected device can be used on FirstNet to provide firefighters with a solution to help strengthen incident response. LUNAR, a wireless, search and rescue device for firefighters that doubles as a personal thermal imaging camera, is the initial device to work with the FirstNet network.
FirstNet, Built with AT&T, is designed with and for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community that could be called upon to support them. FirstNet was born and shaped by the vision of Congress and the first responder community following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is built with AT&T in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) an independent agency within the federal government. The FirstNet network is providing first responders with truly dedicated coverage and capacity when needed.
LUNAR devices manufactured and shipped as of May 2023 have already been certified as FirstNet capable.
“We continuously look for ways to enhance firefighter safety and to help keep firefighters better connected to each other and incident commanders,” says Jason Traynor, MSA Safety’s general manager of global fire service products. “LUNAR delivers on MSA’s vision of bringing new-to-world technology to the fire service, while also delivering on our mission of helping to keep firefighters safe on the job.”
LUNAR joins the FirstNet ecosystem through the FirstNet Embedded IoT Programme, which allows organisations like MSA Safety to integrate FirstNet into FirstNet-eligible devices. This creates a single, end-to-end solution for FirstNet-eligible customers. FirstNet embedded solutions go through extensive review process to ensure they meet the highest standards for reliability, security and performance.
LUNAR is part of the MSA connected firefighter platform, which is a suite of products engineered to work together to help firefighters see and assess a situation like never before. The platform helps to improve firefighter safety by bringing together technology-based equipment and tools to enhance connectivity, accountability, and communications, both on and off the fireground.
“We’re pleased to welcome MSA Safety as a member of our FirstNet IoT Embedded Programme,” says Matt Walsh, assistant vice president, product management and development, FirstNet Programme at AT&T. “This allows us to further our mission to deploy, operate, maintain, and enhance the only nationwide wireless platform dedicated to public safety and the extended community that support public safety response.”
Beyond enhanced thermal imaging capability with edge detection, LUNAR also features firefighter-to-firefighter ranging, GPS capability, and MSA’s proprietary Firefighting Assisting Search Technology (F.A.S.T.), which alerts and provides other LUNAR devices with real-time information to aid in locating downed team members. A LUNAR device’s GPS capabilities enable FireGrid Monitor Map View and shows the approximate location of firefighters while they’re outside of a structure, which can aide incident commanders with situational awareness.
Additionally, LUNAR offers cloud connectivity to enhance firefighter safety and accountability by providing incident command with an overview of on-scene operations by aggregating data from other MSA devices, including the G1 self-contained breathing apparatus. In use, LUNAR can transmit helpful self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) information such as cylinder air pressure, battery status and various alarm indicators.
To learn more about MSA Safety and LUNAR, click here.
For more on FirstNet, check out here.
FirstNet is available for public safety in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. Pacific Territories.
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