I teach a Fire Science Technology class on the use of new firefighting software for the Pocket PC. My Pocket PC can instantly perform hydraulic calculations, determine the expected behavior of a wildland fire, and identify any hazardous material placards on tanker trucks. The software suite I use also contains the organizational chart for incident command training (ICS). These are but a few examples of the useful programs available to all firefighters today.
The software I use was developed by Boulder-based Pocket Mobility (www.pocketmobility.com). They have crafted a family of computer programs for firefighters and emergency responders that eliminates the need for the books, pocket guides, and charts traditionally carried into a fire scene. All the crucial information such as safety guidelines, topo maps, map scale conversions, and hazardous materials databases are computerized in a form that fits into a Pocket PC.
One of the software tools I like to use most in teaching is FireAway (Fig. 1). The software, when properly programmed, will create a computer model of a wildfire's behavior. I teach the proper inputting of topographical features, humidity, wind velocity and fuel load. The resulting model will instantly predict the vertical and horizontal spread of the fire, in feet per minute. I believe the fourteen wildland firefighters who lost their lives in a burnover on Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, in 1994 might have survived if they had had today's handheld technology.
Fig. 1. FireAway is the wild land fire fighting module that allows fire fighters to predict fire behavior.
FireHose (Fig. 2) is another teaching aid I use that when given the dimensions and type of a structure, will determine the minimum amount of water needed to extinguish a fire in it. It can be very beneficial to determine the amount of water needed for each structure when planning district water needs. For a volunteer fire company, this program will provide an immediate update on water requirements and provide a command officer with the knowledge needed to radio for more help or resources.
Fig. 2. FireHose is a complete hydraulic calculations program that is state of the art for hydraulic fire hose calculations.
Also available on my Pocket PC is Emergency Translator (Fig.3), developed by professionals in the EMS field for the growing number of non-English speakers to whom we provide services. Emergency Translator provides a list of English phrases commonly used in patient contact, and, with the tap of a stylus, makes a translation available in the selected language. The provider may then read the translation out loud, or show the translated phrase to the patient. The service provider is not required to learn these languages, and can concentrate on providing the highest level of patient care possible.
Fig. 3. Emergency Translator provides a common list of English phrases used in patient contact, and, with the tap of a stylus, the selected language translation is available.
In addition I use Quizzler (Fig. 4), which contains study questions that students can use to review for tests.
Fig. 4. Quizzler will allow a student to review all the questions he might face on a final exam.
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