Case Study: Fire
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Including the one in Phoenix, Arizona, considered one of the most progressive in North America.
For its forward-thinking management and commitment to advanced firefighting technology, the Phoenix Fire Department is often viewed as a model for city fire departments all over the continent.
In 1994, its evaluation committee set several initiatives for all manufacturers that wanted to participate. At the top of the list: a breathing apparatus with an integrated, automatically activated Personal Alert Safety System (PASS). The PASS is a motion sensor that alerts other firefighters to an unconscious or trapped firefighter by both sound and light.
Up until then, the only PASS devices used by fire departments in North America were standalone units that attached to a firefighter's turnout gear and had to be manually activated. The problem was, up to 90% of all firefighters did not turn their units on.
When the Phoenix FD came to Tyco Fire & Security, we were already in the process of working on this project with the fire department of New York City. The Phoenix evaluation caused us to expedite our development process.
Ultimately, we were named the supplier of choice in Phoenix, which purchased more than 600 units. Shortly after, the New York Fire Department purchased more than 3,000 units. Our product, the Pak-Alert ® 1000, prompted the National Fire Protection Agency to incorporate automatic activation as a requirement in the PASS standard of 1998 for all manufacturers.
More than 250,000 Pak-Alerts currently protect firefighters worldwide. We also continue to lead the way in new products that increase the safety of firefighters – such as SEMS, our technology that lets commanders track firefighters inside burning buildings. It's yet another reason fire departments know they can rely on Tyco Fire & Security when it counts.