Noninvasive Passenger Detection Comparison Using Thermal Imager and IP Cameras

Many modern vehicles today are equipped with an on-board e-call system that can send information about the number of passengers in the event of an accident. However, in case of fire or other major danger in a road tunnel, it is very important for rescue services to know not only the number of passengers in a given vehicle that has an accident and called help via e-call but how many people are in the tunnel in total. This paper deals with the issue of passenger detection and counting using the TPH3008-S Thermal camera and the VIVOTEK IP7361 IP Cameras noninvasively, i.e., the cameras are placed outside the vehicle. These cameras have their limitations; therefore, we investigated how to improve conditions and how to make detection better for future work. The main goal of this article is to summarize the achieved results and possibilities of improvement of the proposed system by adding other sensors and systems that would improve the final score of passenger detection. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach has to be modified and we have to add additional sensors or change methods to achieve more promising results. The results, findings and conclusions might be later used in tunnels and highways and also be applied in telematics and lead to better, safer road transport and improvement of existing tunnel systems sustainability by utilizing resources in a smarter way.

Mathematical Emergency Response Model of Rescue Services

The growing number of incidents and emergencies around the world is raising the issue of security. To improve security, states allocate huge amounts of money, both to support rescue services, and for scientific research in this area. The article reveals an approach to the development of a mathematical model of the rescue services functioning, taking into account the relationship between its individual types of forces and means, allowing simultaneous optimization of various types of material and human resources.

Tourist's Perception of Safety in the Republic of Croatia in 2019

This research has examined the attitudes and perceptions of tourists that visited the Republic of Croatia (RH) during the summer of 2019 about the perception of safety in RH, especially on general security, as well as food safety, personal safety, epidemic safety, and natural disasters. Also, we have examined the confidence in Croatian services, such as the police, rescue services, medical emergency, etc. Almost all the safety components were above 4, which indicates that the tourists in Croatia feel safe and trust the services. This research could be a significant tool for improving the policies for attracting the tourists during and after the pandemic.

The Effectiveness of Basic Resuscitation Activities Carried out by Combat Paramedics of the Police, as Exemplified by Polish Counterterrorist Units

The tasks carried out by Police officers are often accompanied by dangerous situations that threaten the life and health of the people involved, the police themselves, and bystanders. It concerns especially counter-terrorism police units whose activities are aimed at terrorists and particularly dangerous criminals, and their course is violent and aggressive. In conjunction with the inability to bring civilian rescue services into the action zone, this results in the need to expand the assault team by including one more specialisation — combat paramedic, having the appropriate knowledge, skills and qualifications, as well as equipment that allows for independent first aid while the operations are underway. A paramedic’s preparation must be versatile, but the key to effective action is the ability to perform basic activities, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, after the diagnosis of sudden cardiac arrest. The study aims to present the results of research conducted on a fairly unique research sample regarding the effectiveness of indirect heart massage by combat paramedics of police special units and conclusions resulting from empirical research and their comparison with the results of similar studies, in relation to other professional groups. The knowledge and skills acquired during the training quickly become obsolete, requiring systematic consolidation and improvement. Therefore, cyclical repetition of exercises in the area of rescue activities plays a key role in maintaining the required quality of life support. The collected material may be a premise for further research, indicating their potential directions.

Multi-Criteria Selection of Surface Units for SAR Operations at Sea Supported by AIS Data

The authors discuss currently conducted research aimed at improving the planning and performance of search and rescue (SAR) operations at sea. The focus is on the selection of surface units in areas of high traffic density. A large number of ships in the area of distress can make the process of selection of best suited vessels longer. An analysis of features which may render a vessel unsuitable for the job, depending on the area and type of operation, has been conducted. Criteria of assessment and selection of ships have been described, preceded by an expert analysis. The selection process has been made using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The authors propose to apply officially available data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS)—a sensor for the ECDIS and other electronic chart systems—in the analysis of the availability of ships. Algorithms filtering available units have been built and applied in a simulation, using real AIS data, of one of the most common types of SAR operations. The method is proposed as an enhancement of decision support systems in maritime rescue services.

Fire Safety in High-Rise Buildings: Is the Stay-Put Tactic a Misjudgement or Magnificent Strategy?

Historically, fire incidents in high-rise buildings reveal that Fire and Rescue Services frequently rely on the stay-put tactic (i.e., occupants of high-rise buildings should remain in their apartments) during an inferno. Recent fire occurrences in high-rise buildings reveal that there are two opposing viewpoints on the stay-put tactic. First, the understanding that the stay-put tactic is a beneficial practice used to protect, control, and facilitate smooth evacuation of occupants during fire incidents. Second, the argument that the stay-put tactic is a misjudgement and futile strategy that leads to fatalities, particularly in high-rise buildings. The aim of this study was to provide awareness and understanding of fire and rescue services use of the stay-put tactic in high-rise buildings. We attempted to answer the questions: is the stay-put tactic a misjudgement or magnificent strategy? The study adopted phenomenological research strategies with various focus groups consisting of seasoned firefighters and survivors with first-hand accounts of stay-put instructions in high-rise buildings. The study also scrutinised three case studies of fire incidents in high-rise buildings in two countries. The study revealed that the stay-put tactic is obsolete; with the potential to cause catastrophic misjudgement, mostly during conflagrations in high-rise buildings. There is a need to advance research on the use of artificial intelligence communication systems and infrared image detectors camera to enhance quick and smooth fire evacuation in high-rise buildings.

Expert Consensus on Disaster Medical Rescue Services

Disasters and disaster rescue are accompanied by the development of human history. But disaster medicine has been a discipline only for several decades recently. The establishment of the disaster rescue system in China began with the outbreak of SARS in 2003. As the incident exposed a series of problems in response to emerging infectious diseases, China began to consider how to systematically respond to various disasters and commence establishing a comprehensive emergency management system. The “Emergency Response Law of the People’s Republic of China” implemented in 2007 marks the preliminary establishment of China’s modern disaster rescue system. In December 2011, the Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association was established in Shanghai, marking a new stage of the development of disaster medicine in China. Here, disaster medicine and medical rescue services were summarized to guide the implementation of related work.

EXPRESS: Unlearning and Consent in the UK Fire and Rescue Service

Why does so much literature on unlearning ignore the people who do the unlearning? What would we understand differently if we focused on those people? Much of the existing literature argues that unlearning can only be achieved, and new knowledge acquired, if old knowledge is discarded: the clean slate approach. This might be a reasonable way of organising stock in a warehouse, where room needs to be created for new deliveries, but it is not an accurate description of a human system. This article draws on a detailed qualitative study of learning in the UK Fire and Rescue Services to challenge the clean slate approach and demonstrate that, not only did firefighters retain their old knowledge, they used it as a benchmark to assess new routines and practices. This meant that firefighters’ trust in, and consent to, innovation was key to successful implementation. In order to understand the social aspects of unlearning, this research focuses on the people involved as active agents, rather than passive recipients or discarders of knowledge.