In a fast-moving fire, a moment’s delay can lead to extensive property damage or even lives lost. To help prevent that, a team of Princeton University students is developing an easy-to-use database that will put information about buildings and fire conditions at fire chiefs’ fingertips.
“Our goal is to bring better information to firefighters,” said Charlie Jacobson, a Princeton rising sophomore and volunteer firefighter who is part of the team. “And we need to provide this information quickly and intuitively.”
The team’s product, called FireStop, is powered by a database of relevant information such as building layouts, fire hydrant location and hazardous material warnings. To find needed information, whether the closest hydrant or the number of building exits, a firefighter would just tap on the screen of an iPad.