Virtual Command Technology can be of enormous significance to the future security of states and cities. Two weeks of vigorous testing has been witnessed by the State of Louisiana and the City of Baton Rouge including the Chief of Police, the Fire Chief, the Attorney General's office, the Insurance Commisioner, the State Facilities Department and other local and state officials.

The live fire demonstration were conducted at the A. Z. Young Office Building in downtown Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge Fire Department B Shift took part in live emergency response exercises and attendees viewed the operations in real-time from the Baton Rouge Welcome Center using Virtual Command Technology.

Providing a Virtual Presence

The demonstration showed how the NetTalon Virtual Command system gives firefighters a virtual presence within an affected building. Within seconds of the alert they can understand a developing emergency and react to it, as opposed to conventional response technology where many minutes may pass and the responders still have no real information to go on.

In this new concept of emergency management, a facility equipped with NetTalon sensors is networked directly to the fire department dispatch and operations centers. Every responding entity receives notification at once, eliminating time-consuming rerouting.

Emergency notification reaches the fire responders directly, and in seconds they can view the inside of the building, virtually "looking at" the emergency. The alarm control panel in the building has a database containing all the floors plans and icons representing the sensors. In an emergency, sensor conditions are updated every second by changing their color, from "not in alarm" green to "early warning" orange and "alarm" red. The change of color shows the observer the nature of the developing emergency.

Video is integrated into the system where it's critical to identify or validate the presence of a victim in a refuge room.

The inbound fire apparatus access the same information en-route so they can see the incident and complete preliminary incident planning as they drive to the building. By the time they arrive at the building everyone has an assignment and incident mitigation begins immediately.

How is "Virtual Fireground Command" Different?

Today the fire department knows little before it gets to the building. The incident commander has to go to the alarm panel to determine what's in alarm. A recon crew is sent in - essentially blind - and comes back to report, and then the commander works out an attack and rescue plan. Much vital time is lost before the responders even start fighting the fire.

With the NetTalon system the alarm panel is in the responding apparatus allowing the first fire captain and incident commander to conduct size up as the first engine leaves the fire house and fine-tune their attack plans en-route to the fireground.

In a real emergency a number of people typically get out safety because they're in an uninvolved part of the building. In the demonstration, people in the involved part of the building who can't get out go to designated refuge rooms on each floor and alert their presence. These refuge rooms are fitted with cameras for verification by the fireground commander, so that informed rescue procedures can begin immediately.

Smoke detectors and digital temperature sensors throughout the building enable the commander to prioritize rescue operations according to where the fire and smoke is closest to the refuge room.

"Virtual Fireground Command" Lessons Learned

• Virtual Command provides a time advantage to the fire service.
• There is an immediate ability by fire dispatch to validate a working fire.
• Verification of a working fire allows fireground commander to request additional resources.
• Apparatus equipped with hardened notebooks and wireless connectivity enables each captain to locate and monitor the fire's behavior, its location and spread and to identify any refuge room activated.
• False alarms are easily identified.
• Enhanced firefighter safety.