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Situational Awareness

April 22, 2017

MEDWAR SOUTHEAST 2017: Decentralized Command and Control on a Single Pane of Glass View

by Michael Helfrich
in autonomous agents, Distributed Sensing, Emergency Notification, Fusion, IoT, K9, Recovery, Sensors, Situational Awareness

It was 2008 when we first heard it: "I've got multiple deployed teams, vehicles, scores of unattended ground sensors, K9's, and aviation platforms to manage during my incident or mission. And I also have scores of applications that I have to look across and assimilate to make a decision that impacts a small patch of the deployment area. It has become impossible." ...

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MEDWAR Southeast 2017: Blueforce Tested

by Michael Helfrich
in BlueBeacon, CBRN, Emergency Notification, Fusion, IoT, Occupational Safety, Sensors, Situational Awareness, Wearables

What is your definition of a fun weekend?  How about - strains/sprains, dislocations, fractures, soft tissue wounds, lacerations, burns, punctures (with and without embedded objects), blisters, infection, frostbite/extremity immersion, and more? This is what MedWar SOUTHEAST is all about; Hundreds of first responders competing in the woods of Fort Gordon, Georgia. MedWAR teaches and tests wilderness medicine knowledge and skills.  The event uses scenarios and questions which...

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March 27, 2017

Leveraging your Smartphone for “Man-Down” Detection Using Blueforce Tactical

by Michael Helfrich
in Emergency Notification, Hybrid Life Support, Occupational Safety, Recovery, Sensors, Situational Awareness

For years, firefighters have leveraged PASS devices (Personal Alert Safety System) which are also referred to as distress signal unit (DSU) when going into building fires or other dangerous IDLH environments The PASS device sounds a loud (95 decibel) audible alert to notify others in the area that the firefighter is in distress, usually triggered by a lack of motion by the firefighter for a...

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July 30, 2016

Tactical Dashboard Video: Seeing is Believing

by Michael Helfrich
in CBRN, Distributed Sensing, Fusion, IoT, K9, Sensors, Situational Awareness, Surveillance, Uncategorized, Wearables

It's a great thing when imagery can "say" everything that needs to be said.  It speaks for itself.  A dashboard video used during a USG training event is embedded below.  The Blueforce Command Center dashboard in the video shows members of a tactical team breaching a building with support from a K9 unit and shows the following: Real-time Incident Map: Top left, shows all team members,...

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OPS15 Dragon and Alpha Canis Training Event

by Michael Helfrich
in autonomous agents, BlueBeacon, CBRN, Distributed Sensing, Emergency Notification, Fusion, Intrinsically Safe, IoT, K9, Sensors, Situational Awareness, Surveillance, Uncategorized

Knowledge is power.  Successful tactical training is even better.  OPS15 and Alpha Canis will be hosting a 2-Day training event at their Southfield Training Facility and Blueforce will be there.  This dynamic training event will give participants from the public safety, military, and private sector an opportunity to share some ideas and knowledge on best practices from a diverse group of instructors relative to the...

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July 16, 2016

ugsONE: New Blueforce Tactical Plugin that Turns the Smartphone into an Unattended Ground Sensor

by Michael Helfrich
in autonomous agents, CBRN, Distributed Sensing, Fusion, HAZLOC, IoT, Sensors, Situational Awareness, Surveillance, Uncategorized

Here at Blueforce, we think back just ten years ago and the state of personal computing at the time. We were fresh out of Iraq and post-9/11 and simple gamecam capabilities could run a DoD unit upwards of $80,000 a sensor. Military and emergency management groups alike have long been keen for sensors that can be left behind if need be. Ones that are inexpensive...

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April 5, 2016

The Compelling “Total Cost of Ownership” of Personal Security Software for Mobile Workers

by Michael Helfrich
in BlueBeacon, Emergency Notification, Lone Worker, Occupational Safety, Situational Awareness, Uncategorized

It is most assuredly not our parent's world. We suddenly find ourselves in a new phase in the global threat environment which has implications to our critical infrastructure, our schools, and our businesses. Cybersecurity remains a concern, but our physical security in our personal and professional lives is now front and center. Recent attacks and attempted attacks internationally present a diverse and non-predictable threat environment. IT...

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March 2, 2016

Blueforce Announces Support for Microsoft Band 2

by Michael Helfrich
in CBRN, Distributed Sensing, Emergency Notification, IoT, Occupational Safety, Sensors, Situational Awareness, Uncategorized, Wearables

Microsoft Band 2 is what one would expect from Microsoft.  It is not a single faceted device that merely sends steps or heartbeats.  It also has the ability to receive commands from third party applications via a well documented API, and of course, the Microsoft approach to "platform" shines through.  Blueforce committed very quickly to building for this platform.  The band can serve as a...

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February 28, 2016

Blueforce eBook: 5 Benefits of Software Based Personal Security Solutions

by Michael Helfrich
in BlueBeacon, Emergency Notification, Lone Worker, Occupational Safety, Situational Awareness, Uncategorized, Wearables

It is most assuredly not our parent's world. We suddenly find ourselves in a new phase in the global threat environment which has implications to our critical infrastructure, our schools, and our businesses. Cybersecurity remains a concern, but our physi-cal security in our personal and professional lives is now front and center. Recent attacks and attempted attacks internationally present a diverse and non-predictable threat environment. Businesses...

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February 16, 2016

Blueforce Development Corporation Endorses Kyocera’s Devices For Workers in Hazardous Locations and Jobs

by Michael Helfrich
in BlueBeacon, CBRN, Distributed Sensing, Emergency Notification, HAZLOC, K9, Lone Worker, Occupational Safety, Sensors, Situational Awareness, Uncategorized

By John Chier, Director, Corporate Communications, Kyocera   At Kyocera, we believe that not all rugged devices are created equal. Our DNA is rooted in creating mobile devices that offer a unique blend of toughness, performance and affordability, and we feel we have a leg up when it comes to providing field workers the best durable mobile solutions. A big part of our success in rugged...

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