In work funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program (MIPS) and the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI), an innovative technology prototype for tracking individuals moving inside buildings and structures (and outside as well) has been developed. Specifically, the Sentinel System is designed to locate and track firefighters and other first responders indoors and outdoors using inertial and other measurements, including GPS signals, if available. The system includes a Sentinel Beacon and a "Command Station" (a ruggedized PC) that receives the data transmitted from the beacons and processes it to produce location and track information for the incident commander. The Sentinel Beacon system is designed to work as a "mesh network" so that a beacon that is out of range of the command station can have its data relayed by other beacons.

» Read the Full Report: Indoor and Outdoor Location of Firefighters and Safety Personnel