Scott Pack Tracker Locater

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Tuckey on April 28, 2008 at 10:39am

Mr. Shultz,

I don't have any information for you at this time. Our department is considering the Scott Pack Tracker with the purchase of new SCBA's. I will be very interested in the SOP should our department decide to start using the Pack Tracker. Good luck with our research.

Joe

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Shultz on March 28, 2011 at 12:06pm

Joe -

 

It has been a while.  Did you Department ever pick up the Pak Tracker system?  If so how did the SOP come along?

Joseph Tuckey said:

Mr. Shultz,

I don't have any information for you at this time. Our department is considering the Scott Pack Tracker with the purchase of new SCBA's. I will be very interested in the SOP should our department decide to start using the Pack Tracker. Good luck with our research.

Joe

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Permalink Reply by Elliot Belote on December 21, 2011 at 4:15pm

Mr. Shultz,

 

    Our department has just recently purchased the Pack Tracker and used it briefly in house as a test. IT seems preety cool and worth the money. It recognizes the pack in trouble mode and essentially works like a submarine sonar system. As you get closer the beeping gets louder and more intense.

   The only problem that we have seen with it is that it wont tell you if there is a wall in front of you or even the same floor of the firefighter. It just beeps more as you get closer to the downed firefighter which signifies the general direction.

   Our department definately needs more training on it, but in my opinion the Pack Tracker would be really only highly effective during a wide area search for a downed firefighter. Even if the firefighter is trapped in a collapse, the Tracker really only tells you the general distance you are from the firefighter. We dont know if metal (steel beams) would effect the Tracker sonar system. I will be more than happy to keep you updated on any training we do with it.

 

Elliot

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Shultz on December 29, 2011 at 11:12am

 

Thanks for the input.  You are accurate, the system give you an estimate of which direction and how close.  An inherent issue is that of "reflection", your signal being bounced off concrete or metal providing a potential mis-direction.  A way to combat that is to first seek your firefighter's position through an outside walk around to determine best floor and location, and then work through the building from the closest entrance point.  The antenna is direction focused so this should get you closer to start your search.

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