Emergency Pet Locator Device for Fire Rescue Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
During emergencies like fires, animals trapped inside homes often cannot alert rescuers to their presence or location, posing risks to both the animals and firefighters due to the rapid spread of fires and inadequate information available to rescuers.
Innovation Solution
A weather-resistant electronic device is mounted outside a home, pre-programmed with information about pets or individuals, such as type, breed, size, name, and location, allowing rescuers to access this information via a mobile app or scanning device, enabling them to quickly locate and rescue trapped beings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional methods (interviewing occupants or using static stickers) are used to provide information about trapped pets, then rescuers can obtain some information, but the information may be outdated, incomplete, or wrong, and the process takes too much time
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-programs pet information (type, breed, size, name, location, photo) into an electronic device before emergencies occur. This preliminary action ensures accurate, up-to-date information is ready for immediate retrieval by rescuers, eliminating the time-consuming process of interviewing panicked occupants and avoiding outdated sticker information.
2Reliability
If firefighters search the entire structure to locate trapped pets, then they can find victims, but the search takes valuable time during rapidly spreading fires
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic device pre-stores and displays detailed pet location information (specific room or area within the structure) before emergencies occur. This allows rescuers to immediately navigate directly to trapped pets without conducting time-consuming full-structure searches, significantly reducing search time while maintaining high rescue success rates.
3Ease of operation
If rescuers attempt rescues without accurate location information, then they can save lives, but they risk injury or death due to unnecessary exposure to dangerous conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides rescuers with pre-programmed, accurate pet location information displayed on the electronic device upon arrival. This eliminates the need for prolonged exposure to dangerous fire conditions during searches, as rescuers can quickly locate and rescue victims with precise directional guidance, minimizing time spent in hazardous environments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If static warning stickers are used to indicate pet locations, then rescuers can see warning signs, but the stickers cannot be updated when family circumstances change
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic device allows dynamic updating of pet information (type, breed, size, name, location, photo) through programmable input, unlike static stickers. This enables the system to adapt to changing family circumstances while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive programming interfaces, ensuring information remains current and accurate.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of locating a trapped being, such as a pet, in the event of an emergency such as a fire. The system comprises an electronic device having a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising software instructions, that when executed by a processor allows a retrieval device to access user input related to a pet's characteristics and location within a structure stored within a memory of the electronic device. The system may further comprise a server connected to the electronic device via a network. A method of locating a pet during an emergency uses the retrieval device to access the user input related to the pet's characteristics and location within the structure stored on the electronic device which is located outside of the structure.