Widespread smartphone and tablet adoption continues to drive demand for mobile applications, for both consumers and first responders in the field. In fact, mobile app downloads are expected to jump to almost 50 billion in 2012 — with a market worth of about $17.5 billion — a substantial increase from the 7 billion downloads executed in 2009, according to a study by Chetan Sharma Consulting. What’s exciting about this development for the fire service is that firefighters often are the inventors of the many all-hazards apps now available on the market.

For instance, Adam Weiss, an engineer and paramedic for the Clark County (Nev.) Fire Department, saw a need for an app to help firefighters quickly save victims of vehicular accidents. The idea came to him during extrication training, when he discussed with a colleague the challenges of remembering the different components of both older and newer model vehicles.

“I mentioned to another guy we should make a database of all the extrication material for us to use, because it is way too complicated to get a training class once a year and be expected to remember it all,” Weiss said.

Developed by Bohemian Innovations, the app, dubbed Extraction Zones Pro, puts vehicle information in the hands of first responders. Upon arriving at the scene of an accident, emergency responders can click on the app and select the make and model of the damaged vehicle from an extensive pop-up list. The side and top view of specific vehicles come up, displaying all areas of concern regarding safe and efficient extrication of trapped victims. It includes both hybrid and gas-powered vehicles from 2000 to present.

“So you’ll have a scroll down menu of the makes, such as Chevy to Volvo, in alphabetical order. You click on it and then it lists the names of vehicles from that manufacturer,” he said. “You can literally get to the car you want within 10 seconds. We didn’t want it to be lengthy so it’s a two-step process to get in.”

Areas featured in these two views include ultra-high-strength structural reinforcements, high-voltage hybrid batteries and high-voltage cables, airbags and airbag canisters, seatbelt pre-tensioners, fuel tanks, and 12-volt batteries.

“Now, before we start cutting into the vehicles, we have some idea of where everything is,” he said. “Because we know where components are, we don’t have to waste time searching all over the vehicle. We can go directly to the place, cut the batteries, and then deactivate the airbags so we can start cutting into the car faster. The faster we can get into the vehicle, the faster we can get people out of the vehicle.”

The app costs $4.99 and is available for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. Weiss said future versions will be available for Windows-based tablets.

Go with the Flow

A Ford Motors’ executive and paid-on-call firefighter developed the next app for the fire service. Alan Jacobson works in Ann Arbor, Mich., at Pittsfield Township Fire Department. Jacobson found there was a need for the Firefighter Calculator, which lets users program their department’s nozzle settings into the application instead of referring to plastic data cards with mathematical formulas that often are attached to the interior of bunker gear.

“As an example, one of the plastic cards explains the friction loss and the pump pressures that are necessary when operating fire hose in different conditions,” Jacobson said. “Young firefighters carry pocket cards to help them calculate that quickly. It is a fairly complex math problem to solve it precisely.”

It’s the perfect application for an app because users can punch in numbers, and it will automatically calculate the precise answer, Jacobson said. For example, the app has embedded calculation tools used to determine discharge pressure for firefighting pumps; foam application rates and amounts; critical application rate and flow estimation; and pressure and flow rates for smooth-bore nozzles.

Specifically, the app’s discharge pressure calculator determines friction loss, proper pump pressure and the estimated reach of the hose stream. Meanwhile, its foam application calculator lets the user enter area and depth-of-spill information, along with the type of foam being used. It then calculates the amount of concentrate and water needed.

“Most firefighters don’t encounter a lot of spills every day, so for an oil spill in the road and at a certain size, you need to figure out if you have enough foam to put on top of it,” Jacobson said. “These calculations most firefighters don’t have memorized. They’d do it by trial and error. This application would quickly let you solve that problem.”

In addition, the app offers a calculator that determines the minimum flow rate needed to extinguish fire in less than 10 seconds, while another calculator lets users enter nozzle tip size and either pressure or flow rate. The calculator then solves for pressure or flow, Jacobson said.

Even if used only in training and not on the fireground, the app can help firefighters understand and learn about calculations and the equipment needed, Jacobson said.

“Even as a training application, to be able to put different scenarios in and get the feel for appropriate size hoses and nozzle tips is a good way to be able to do that,” he said.

The app is available for both Apple and Android devices. It costs $2.99.

EMS On-Demand

A paramedic ironically went from using the next app on the job to later joining the company that developed it as its product manager. Ray Coleman was a captain with Jackson Hole (Wyo.) Fire and EMS when he used the first version of the app, dubbed eMedic. Now, as a part-time paramedic for Greenwich (Conn.) EMS, Coleman praises the newest version offered by Iterum, which was developed for Apple- and Windows PC-based systems.

The app is a reference guide for pre-hospital medical professionals. The original product, PalmEMS, was released in 2001 for the Palm operating system. While it’s still available for the Palm, its database has increased — now containing more than 1,500 records that are searchable and cross-referenced.

“It’s a field guide, but it’s electronic,” Coleman added.

The app also includes more than 700 popular, relevant, medical acronyms and more than 175 anatomical items labeled in two dozen illustrations. “It can be used to look up any of the alphabet soup from the fire/EMS side,” he said.

In addition, it offers a library containing more than 400 of the most prescribed medicines, popular emergency medicines and many over-the-counter meds. “It has reference information on prescription drugs as far as what they are given for, for instance, beta blockers,” Coleman said.

Finally, the app offers treatment information, including more than 100 records that cover a plethora of medical and trauma emergencies — from abrasions, to chest pain, to hypernatremia.

“The treatment category gives you some basic information on signs and treatments of illness or injuries, like abdominal pain,” he said. “Not protocols, but information similar to how curriculum is written.”

Another great feature, according to Coleman, concerns the app’s anatomy images. Users can view a full body and tap on a specific section, like the head, and it will pull up an image of the skull.

“This is useful for teaching or for reference,” Coleman said. “This is handy not only for people in the field who are trying to determine a course of action but also for studying for recertification or during downtimes.”

The app costs $19.99 for Apple systems, while the Windows version is $24.95; both are one-time fees. Updates are automatically uploaded to the app without additional cost, Coleman said. The company expects to release an Android version next year.

Other Fire-Service Apps:

• FireWhat wildfire data app
• FEMA disaster-preparedness app
• San Ramon Valley CPR alert app