Wildland Firefighting and Wearable Technology: A Review

Abstract

Meredith McQuerry

Wildland fires remain a major problem in multiple regions of the United States, as well as across the globe, as their frequency continues to rise. This type of fire poses a unique challenge as multiple agencies and personnel are needed to manage the large geographical areas spanned by forest fires. Two of the greatest needs for wildland firefighters are location based tracking and environmental monitoring. These needs may be solved through the implementation of wearable technology within wildland firefighter personal protective clothing. The purpose of this review article is to synthesize the wearable technology needs of wildland firefighters in order to improve their health and safety. Multiple technology challenges and solutions are presented, including the need for the future development of an enhanced location tracking and environmental monitoring wearable technology system.

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