Rollins Volunteer Fire Department crest
Rollins Volunteer Fire Department

Digital Firefighter Accountability

Know who is on scene, where, and safe, without a tag to lose.
Why change

The velcro tag system has gaps.

Tags fall off

At the recent Polson training, tags came off helmets and could not be turned in. A missing tag is a missing firefighter on the board.

The turn-in is slow

Everyone has to physically reach Command and hand over a tag, even a crew working 200 yards up the road.

More to carry

One more loose thing on your gear, and a clipboard in Command's hands.
How it works

An NFC tag glued in the helmet. Command taps.

Each firefighter carries a passive chip built into their helmet. On scene, Command taps each helmet and the board fills in. No signal, no app on your end, no battery.

Tag in the helmet

A ~$0.50 chip, glued in. Cannot fall off.

Command taps it

A quick hold of the phone, under a second each.

Board fills in

Name, crew, and status, tracked live.
50¢

Per tag. A few dollars for the whole department.

Compared to hundreds or thousands for a commercial accountability system. The chip is passive, it needs no power, works with zero cell signal, and it is embedded in gear you already wear.

Getting on the board

Three ways, so no one is ever missed.

Fastest

NFC helmet tap

Command taps each helmet as the crew forms up.

At Command
Always works

Manual add

Command taps names from the roster off a radio report. No scan, no range.

Dispersed crews
Hands-free

Self check-in

A firefighter checks in on their own phone over the scene network.

Later phase
The board

Everything Command needs at a glance.

Who is on scene

Grouped by truck, crew, or division.

Where they are

Interior, exterior, staging, rehab, or cleared.

PAR at one tap

Instant count and roll call, flags anyone unaccounted.

Air and time

A clock on each interior crew for bottle rotation.
Extending the range

A scene network for the whole incident.

For crews spread across a big scene, the command vehicle becomes a self-contained network, no cell service required.

Apparatus mesh extends coverage
Command
Truck relay
Truck relay
Crew, 200 yd
Starlink up

Starlink Mini

Internet anywhere, off-grid. Works deep in rural Lake County.

Command AP

Blankets the scene 150 to 300m. Phones sync over WiFi even before Starlink connects.

Apparatus mesh

Each truck relays the signal, stretching coverage across a large incident.
The plan

Built in phases, useful from day one.

Phase 1

The board

Offline accountability on Command's phone. NFC tap plus manual add. Works with no signal and no extra hardware.
No hardware needed
Phase 2

Scene network

Starlink and WiFi so dispersed crews sync live, and dispatch can see the board from the office.
Adds the network gear
Phase 3

Auto detect

Phones near Command suggest themselves onto the board automatically. A convenience on top.
Nice to have
The bottom line

Cheaper, safer, faster.

Cannot fall off A few dollars total Works with no signal Faster than the turn-in Less to carry
Rollins Volunteer Fire DepartmentDigital Accountability Concept