Smart Firefighting

Episode 126: A Simple Solution - How to Manage Solar Panels During Fires with Jim Foran | Interschutz 2022 Mini Series

Here's the inside scoop on the ingenious product that safely handles electrical risks from solar panels during a fire...
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
This is the third episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security.
In this episode:
- How can we manage the constant changes for batteries and solar panels in our daily lives?
- How can an existing extinguisher delivery system increase solar panels safety?
- What are the unintended risks associated with these technologies?
Jim Foran is co-founder and CEO of PVStop International Pty Ltd, a company that is pioneering renewable energy and new technology safety. His responsibilities cover setting the tone of the organization and the team, establishing goals, innovating, motivating and building trust with all stakeholders to ensure the company achieves its corporate objectives.
PVSTOP is the only global solution that safely isolates the power produced by solar panels. PVSTOP eliminates the risk of high voltage DC electrocution by acting as a “liquid tarpaulin” shutting down the solar PV system in seconds. This problem poses a significant safety risk recognized by fire and emergency services agencies around the world. In professional terms, this risk is known as the “DC Danger Zone” and, up until now, there has been no practical solution to this globally recognized problem.
PVSTOP was the inaugural winner of the Fire Protection Industry Awards for Innovative Product and Technology in Australia and a finalist in both the UK Fire & Emergency Awards and the SafeWork NSW Awards.
Beyond PVSTOP, Jim has over 20 years’ experience in senior sales, marketing and operational roles with some of the world’s largest brands, lectured on renewable energy safety in 16 countries and holds qualifications in both business and fire engineering. Jim is passionate about renewable energy and improving firefighter safety.
Connect with PVSTOP: LinkedIn | Facebook
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 125: Evaluating the Evolving Landscapes to Support First Responder Operations with Dan Cotter | Interschutz 2022 Mini Series

Why hasn't more research looked at threats from the first responder's point of view?
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
This is the second episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security.
In this episode:
- What are the evolving threats that first responders encounter?
- Why is it essential to research the risks before introducing a solution?
- How can we evaluate the veracity of the data to avoid cyber threats?
SFF got to chat with Dan Cotter, the Executive Director of the Office of Science and Engineering (OSE) in the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). His responsibilities include overseeing seven technology centers, research requirements, development, standards, systems engineering, test and evaluation, technology scouting and transition planning, plus supporting DHS research and acquisition programs.
His prior experience includes roles as the DHS Chief Technology Officer, Geospatial Management Officer, and as Senior Technical Advisor at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dan has a background in applying emerging technologies to address a wide range of scientific, engineering and technical challenges faced by the National Flood Insurance Program and disaster mitigation, and response and recovery. He also has over a decade of leadership experience in the private sector.
Dan's career has been dedicated to developing affordable solutions for first responders by working with the international first responder community to define common capability gaps and to collaborate on R&D that would make first responders worldwide safer, more effective, and more efficient at their jobs. At the trade show, Dan and his team demonstrated new testbed technologies, including smart building sensors for detecting fire ignition and environmental threats in large venues.
Connect with DHS: LinkedIn
Episode Resources:
- Executive Gov Article: DHS S&T Demos First Responder Innovations at Interschutz 2022
- National Information Exchange Model (NIEM.gov)
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 124: The Power of Listening to the Fire Service with Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell | Interschutz 2022 Mini Series

A glimpse into the state of the international fire service...
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
This is the first episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security.
In this episode:
- How can we share and learn from best practices within the international fire service?
- Why is the vernacular in wildfire fighting so important?
- How can implementing Community Risk Reduction strategies help prevent disasters and improve response efforts?
At the expo, SFF met with Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell - an expert in executive leadership, emergency response system evaluation, public safety resource deployment, community risk assessment, data science/analytics, and so much more. Dr. Moore-Merrell recently served on the Biden-Harris Transition Team to conduct agency review for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of the COVID-19 response planning. She has also served on the Public Safety Committee of the transition teams for both the mayor of New York City and the mayor of the District of Columbia.
During her 26 years at the IAFF, Dr. Moore-Merrell spent more than 17 years leading a research team made up of international fire service organizations and other partners. As principal investigator and senior project manager on projects funded by FEMA/Assistance to Firefighters Grants totaling more than $23 million, she led the team to produce landmark reports and other tools to improve residential and high-rise fire ground operations, community risk assessment, fire and EMS resource deployment, and “Big Data Analytics” — all to help drive executive decision-making. These reports and other resources have changed the face of fire and EMS deployment in countries throughout the world.
Connect with Dr. Moore-Merrell: LinkedIn | Twitter
Episode Resources:
- Additional biography on Dr. Moore-Merrell
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 123: Using Available Technology & Data to Improve Operational Insights in the Fire Service with Bob Horton

Information the fire service needs may already be available, so how can it be optimized?
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- How can we use data to get ahead of the incident before first responders arrive on the scene?
- Should we view the incident command operational picture from a different lens than previous historical examples?
- How can we focus on reducing the risk rather than eliminating it?
Who better to fill in the blanks other than the Impact Strategist for Upstream ABI, WFCA Board Director, CEO and Fire Chief of Jackson County Fire District: Robert (Bob) Horton?
Bob is a scholar-practitioner working in local government while conducting applied research at the intersection of behavioral economics, public policy, and community risk management. He focuses on the use of evidence to evaluate program effectiveness and to examine policy-relevant questions. As a practitioner, he has worked in public safety for over twenty years, with a third of that time in an executive leadership role.
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 122: Breaking Down the FRST Challenge with Jared Doke

This is the seventh and final episode of our FRST Challenge Breakdown Mini Series!
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- What is the value of 3D tracking for law enforcement?
- How can the FRST Challenge support innovation for all first responders?
- How can entrepreneurs bring new technology into public safety?
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 121: Breaking Down the FRST Challenge with Greg Schofield

This is the sixth episode of our FRST Challenge Breakdown Mini Series!
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- What is the value of 3D tracking for law enforcement?
- How can the FRST Challenge support innovation for all first responders?
- How can entrepreneurs bring new technology into public safety?
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 120: Breaking Down the FRST Challenge with Eric Kant

This is the fifth episode of our FRST Challenge Breakdown Mini Series!
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- What is the value of 3D tracking for law enforcement?
- How can the FRST Challenge support innovation for all first responders?
- How can entrepreneurs bring new technology into public safety?
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 119: Breaking Down the FRST Challenge with Dr. Charles Jennings

This is the fourth episode of our FRST Challenge Breakdown Mini Series!
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- What is the value of 3D tracking for law enforcement?
- How can the FRST Challenge support innovation for all first responders?
- How can entrepreneurs bring new technology into public safety?
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 118: Breaking Down the FRST Challenge with Chad Wallace

This is the third episode of our FRST Challenge Breakdown Mini Series!
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- What is the value of 3D tracking for law enforcement?
- How can the FRST Challenge support innovation for all first responders?
- How can entrepreneurs bring new technology into public safety?
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Episode 117: Breaking Down the FRST Challenge with Chief Tom Synan

This is our second episode of our FRST Challenge Breakdown Mini Series!
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy!
In this episode:
- What is the value of 3D tracking for law enforcement?
- How can the FRST Challenge support innovation for all first responders?
- How can entrepreneurs bring new technology into public safety?
Join our SFF Community!
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is or review our curated resources!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn