PolyU and The Fire Services Department collaborate on research for indoor positioning technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to put forward a study on the use of innovation and technology (I&T) to track the location of firemen at indoor fire scenes in order to further enhance the safety of frontline personnel.

PolyU and the FSD will collaborate in studying the use of indoor positioning technology to track and locate fire personnel at fire scenes inside buildings and protect them against danger. With PolyU's experience in cutting-edge engineering research and the advanced simulation training facilities in the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy, the collaboration will achieve an optimum synergy effect and provide better protection of fire personnel’s lives.

Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, and Mr Andy YEUNG, Director of Fire Services, the MoU was signed by Prof. Keith K.C. CHAN, Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of PolyU, and Mr KWOK Pak-chiu, Assistant Director (Corporate Strategy) of the FSD.

Professor Jin-Guang Teng said, “Firefighters have always served and protected Hong Kong citizens with dedication and care, and PolyU is pleased to participate in this meaningful study by leveraging our research and innovation capabilities to strengthen the safety of fire personnel. PolyU’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a strong foundation in the area of precision engineering research, with its researchers having participated in the Nation’s space exploration missions of the Moon and Mars. The collaboration to develop an indoor fire scene tracking system will combine PolyU’s advanced positioning and precision engineering technologies with FSD’s professional facilities and support. I am confident that the study will help provide more timely protection to fire personnel.”

Professor Teng added that PolyU will continue to harness its multi-disciplinary research strengths to support FSD’s work. For instance, PolyU’s Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering is conducting a “smart firefighting” research that adopts AI to monitor buildings fire hazards.

Mr Andy Yeung said, “The FSD has long been supportive to the HKSAR Government in promoting the development and application of I&T. Over the years, the FSD has proactively introduced and applied I&T in enhancing its firefighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services for better protection of the lives and property of citizens as well as the safety of frontline fire personnel.”

He said that the FSD has deployed robots for firefighting tasks and also applied artificial intelligence-assisted drones during mountain rescue operations to help search for missing persons. Both devices have been proven to be effective in greatly enhancing operational efficiency and safety. He added that the FSD would also share its accomplishments on I&T research with the fire and rescue departments of the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area by conducting regular technical exchanges.

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