Working Garment Integrating Sensor Applications Developed Within the PROeTEX Project for Firefighters

Abstract

In the frame of the European project PROETEX, CSEM continued to develop applications in the field of smart garment for monitoring vital signs and environment of the wearer. This European integrated project grouped 23 partners from all over Europe. The objectives of the project were to develop smart garments for firefighters and rescuers that will help them and their headquarters to know the location, the capacity, and the encountered risks of emergency personnel on the intervention’s field. The smartness was given by the network of integrated sensors and the communication capacities of the developed garments. The inner garments integrated life sign monitoring sensors for heart rate (HR), respiration rate, body temperature, etc. The outer garments were equipped with sensors to determine environmental risks (chemical, temperature), the situation of the rescuer (activity, attitude, localization), and the control system with a communication module. The system was tested in the laboratory and the intervention’s field. In the laboratory, it was compared with reference measurement systems and proved its functionality. Then it was tested with firefighters and rescuers in training situations with exercises of real rescue and fire operations. It proved its ability to provide relevant information to the management of emergency personnel during operation. Integration of sensors in garments is an emerging technology that will find applications not only for monitoring people in extreme situations but also for monitoring people during sport training or for monitoring patients and elderly people at home.