Even though Google Glass still isn’t available for the general public, it’s still become one of my favorite new products for sheer style and innovation. Its new app for firefighters, being developed by self-taught programmer and North Carolina firefighter Patrick Jackson, raised my opinion of the company even higher.
I want a pair. Two bad they'll be ridiculously expensive. Le sigh.
While Google Glass has made previous attempts at such apps, versions that would help with receiving messages from dispatch or pointing out the nearest fire hydrants, Jackson’s app is more complex and helps with some of the major hurtles and safety hazards firefighters face every day. Take a look at some the features Jackson’s planned:
As you can see in the video, the app plans to allow firefighters access to the floor plans of unfamiliar buildings, as well as create extraction diagrams for them should they need to remove civilians safely from a car or trapped debris. As Glass does not fit under a firefighter’s mask, the app will probably be used by firefighters in management or safety roles, where the information will be relayed to the teams inside.
While some of these features aren’t available yet according to Jackson, the developer also believes a version of the app will be ready for field use even before Google Glass comes out to the public. With an interest in computers stemming from his childhood, Jackson has also created an app for Android and iOS devices designed to help firefighters in similar ways.
Jackson’s app could lead to changes in the way firefighters approach fires and dangerous situations, not to mention providing an improved level of safety for those who so selflessly save others. According to Mashable, that’s what Jackson envisions:
“I'm looking to provide it as a service to the fire department,” he said. “Right now, I'm still a career firefighter, and this is a side job.”
Source Mashable.
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