FDNY "EFAS"

[efdcapt115 1,511]

FDNY Pilot Program Focuses on Firefighter Accountability

The Electronic Fireground Accountability System is aimed at reducing the number of line-of-duty deaths.

The FDNY recently launched a pilot program that officials hope helps dramatically reduce the number of line of duty deaths in the department

The Electronic Fireground Accountability System (EFAS) was rolled out for several companies six months ago and Chief of Safety Stephen Raynis said he expects the program to expand during the course of the year.

Raynis spoke to attendees at FDIC in Indianapolis on Wednesday about the advances made by the FDNY since 9/11

http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/fdny-pilot-program-focuses-firefighter-accountability

Hoping M'Ave, 16fire5, or other FDNY members could give us members here some further insight about the system. Thanks in advance.

[Alpinerunner 61]

It sounds pretty cool, but I'm not sure the article explains it very well. As far as I can understand, the upgrade simply displays the name of the person calling the mayday permanently (until reset). In our radio system, this is currently the case, with every portable and the dispatch console displaying the apparatus and position of the person who activated the emergency button.

I was expecting the system to actually help find someone who called the mayday, like this: https://www.scottsafety.com/en/us/pages/ProductDetail.aspx?productdetail=Pak-Tracker%20Firefighter%20Locator%20System

Again, they may be the case and it's just a vague article.

[tbendick 27]

It is a program that runs on the mdt in the battalion car. It's linked into our electronic riding list program. When the software detects a radio id using a form of mdc it adds the company to a list of units on scene.

Any time someone hits the orange button it will log it to.the screen

The other feature is a roll call. It will split the screen showing accounted and accounted.

You push your radio 3 times to get accounted during a rollcall.

[NJMedic 96]

I was at the Fire Academy last week for a demo. Seems pretty neat although the price might scare away smaller departments (I don't know what the price is but I have to imagine its not cheap). One feature is that when the man down button is pressed the radio switches from 2w to 5w, I guess that will allow the radio to cut out everyone else.

[bronxfireradio 45]

This is an interesting topic, and I do hope it results in increased safety.

Currently, all FDNY HT's transmit a data burst at the beginning of each transmission, which when properly decoded, indicate type of company, unit number, and riding position. The decoded info can be displayed on any MDC-1200 decoding device, such as an MDT or XTS HT with an LCD display.

As somewhat of a radio guy, I will say that the caveat is that a radio is only as good as it is programmed. MDC encoding and protocol is an enormous task, and my hope is that the transition to names being displayed when a radio keys up goes well. Think about how many different members may use a particular radio.

Also, even though the HTs may go to 5 watts for an emergency transmission, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will be received or step on another radio that is transmitting 2W at the same time.

Edited March 25, 2011 by bronxfireradio

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

This is an interesting topic, and I do hope it results in increased safety.

Currently, all FDNY HT's transmit a data burst at the beginning of each transmission, which when properly decoded, indicate type of company, unit number, and riding position. The decoded info can be displayed on any MDC-1200 decoding device, such as an MDT or XTS HT with an LCD display.

As somewhat of a radio guy, I will say that the caveat is that a radio is only as good as it is programmed. MDC encoding and protocol is an enormous task, and my hope is that the transition to names being displayed when a radio keys up goes well. Think about how many different members may use a particular radio.

Also, even though the HTs may go to 5 watts for an emergency transmission, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will be received or step on another radio that is transmitting 2W at the same time.

Wouldn't that require the system be updated almost hourly? With shift change, sick leave, injuries, etc etc couldn't that type of information of whose riding where change almost hourly with an organization the size of the FDNY's? I mean with all of the hundreds of fire houses and several times that in manpower, wouldn't at least some people be leaving work almost hourly requiring the system to update hourly or regularly at least?

[M' Ave 1,466]

http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/fdny-pilot-program-focuses-firefighter-accountability

Hoping M'Ave, 16fire5, or other FDNY members could give us members here some further insight about the system. Thanks in advance.

HAHA, WHAT?!? I've never heard of this! Goes to show you what they think of us firemen in HQ. "Treat them like mushrooms, keep'em in the dark and"....you know the rest.

Pilot programs are common and isolated. Some do go city wide, but not all. Management of a Mayday call is something that, in my limited experience, needs a lot of refinement. Radio traffic at a hectic event is overwhelming and Mayday's get stepped on. We do have the EAB (emergency alert button) on our remote mic, but most of the audio that I listen to from fires, the button is not pressed. By the time the Mayday is called, the member in trouble does not think to press this button. How do we ingrain that in someones head? It sounds easy enough, but I've never been in the situation where I was literally burning up and needed to use this device, thank god...

How DO we improve the Mayday management system?

[Bnechis 3,961]

HAHA, WHAT?!? I've never heard of this! Goes to show you what they think of us firemen in HQ. "Treat them like mushrooms, keep'em in the dark and"....you know the rest.

Very interesting. Meanwhile, we watched it develope (by the same company that developed the post radios) and have been waiting till the final bugs are worked out of it.

It is very similar in concept to Motorola's Fireground Managment Software (which many depts including us use). It apears they have upgraded it to merge other pre determined data.

[Mac8146 61]

The system is linked with the EBF4 which is the FDNY riding list. Electronic BF4 at the start of each tour the officer enters the members riding and it is downloaded. Officers update the BF4 when changes do occur mid-tour due to various reasons. The radios as stated are assigned to specific riding positions/assignments. Example E099-01 is the Officer of E-99. If a spare radio is in service it is entered into system and a change is made such as SP035 may be assigned to E099-01 while that radio is OOS for repair. The EFAS feature in the car allows a member to monitor radio traffic and if the emergency button on a radio is activated it becomes highlighted and will not disappear if another radio transmits. If the activation was an error it can be cleared.This EFAS is only tied into the radios and doesnt locate or show where a member is. But since FDNY has specific assignments you can get an idea as to location member should be at.

[Mac8146 61]

Also the system will be citywide in near future, each Battalion and Division will have it. As for Mayday issue if the mayday is heard the member monitoring can input the mayday that was transmitted,the screen does not loose radio traffic it keeps it in a log, this is different than using emergency button which as stated causes immediate highlight.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Mac8146

[M' Ave 1,466]

The system is linked with the EBF4 which is the FDNY riding list. Electronic BF4 at the start of each tour the officer enters the members riding and it is downloaded. Officers update the BF4 when changes do occur mid-tour due to various reasons. The radios as stated are assigned to specific riding positions/assignments. Example E099-01 is the Officer of E-99. If a spare radio is in service it is entered into system and a change is made such as SP035 may be assigned to E099-01 while that radio is OOS for repair. The EFAS feature in the car allows a member to monitor radio traffic and if the emergency button on a radio is activated it becomes highlighted and will not disappear if another radio transmits. If the activation was an error it can be cleared.This EFAS is only tied into the radios and doesnt locate or show where a member is. But since FDNY has specific assignments you can get an idea as to location member should be at.

I think we've been doing the EBF-4 for a year or more, but this is the first I've heard of it being associated with a location monitoring program and thats wrong.

[ny10570 745]

How has the roll call feature been working out? Happened to be at the rock during a highrise drill when they were working on the roll call. Each member keys up their mic 3 times in a row and it is supposed to register them in the system. There were still some kinks where too many simultaneous transmissions would block each other, but one company at a shot seemed to work well.