New SCBAs Will Help Locate Firefighters in Trouble on the Fire Ground

A Mayday on the fire ground goes straight to the heart of every firefighter who hears it. Time is the enemy - locating and rescuing an incapacitated firefighter is difficult and dangerous. But thanks to a federal grant, every frontline City of Madison firefighter now has an increased chance of survival. With the grant, the department has purchased 75 new devices that will help to identify a firefighter who is missing and/or unable to safely leave a dangerous environment. The device is called the Pak-Tracker™ Firefighter Locator. When integrated with an SCBA, the Pak-Tracker provides a unique signal for each individual firefighter, providing improved accountability at incidents. The device can be activated manually by the firefighters, or it will activate automatically if a firefighter stays motionless for more than 30 seconds. The Department's Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) will demonstrate the new device Wednesday, December 12 at 1:00 p.m. at Station #4, 1437 Monroe St.