Peterson Air Force Base has a history of leadership in implementing and managing new technologies. In 1982, Air Force officials activated Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB, just outside of Colorado Springs, Colo. Today Peterson is the home of the 21st Space Wing, the Air Force's only organization responsible for worldwide missile warning and space control.

The complex that houses the Air Force also hosts the Schriever Air Force Base and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, and serves as headquarters for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, Air Force Space Command and Army Strategic Command. The Peterson Air Force Base Fire Department serves this community and has various responsibilities including responding to aircraft emergency situations.

The department's Aircraft Emergency Rescue Information technical order contains almost 3,000 pages, which must be color-coded for firefighters to distinguish various aircraft components and hazards. We routinely update more than 6,000 pages of emergency response plans on hundreds of aircraft, thousands of hazardous chemicals and the layouts of Peterson's buildings.

During an emergency, firefighters normally would have to search through 45-pound binders with detailed profiles for 250 types of aircraft. We currently have to print out copies of technical orders, facility and aircraft pre-fire plans, emergency response checklists and guidebooks, and assorted Air Force publications. We have to look through thousands of pages in books that weigh more than 12 pounds each.

Following its history of technological innovations, the department believed that by using an electronic tool like a rugged tablet PC, the department could realize significant savings on reproducing technical orders and improved efficiencies.

What makes it rugged?

As the portable computer has evolved, an ever-growing number of vendors claim to have ruggedized computers, but how can decision-makers tell how rugged a computer really is?

Truly rugged computing devices are engineered inside and out to operate in a range of hostile environments. Their design encompasses the external housing, internal components, special coatings and seals, among other items, allowing them to function correctly in operating environments ranging from challenging to extreme. Mobile workers who are required to operate outside of the controlled office environment are ideal candidates for a rugged tablet PC.

Customers have to rely on a product's specifications and warranty statements to evaluate the amount of ruggedization included in the product's design. Because specifications vary from product to product, a number of ratings and standards established by various government agencies and industry associations, such as the Military Standard for Environmental Testing or MIL-STD-810F, are available to help even out the evaluation process and provide a better assessment of a product's rugged design.

Published by the U.S Department of Defense, the MIL-STD-810F specification is a series of guidelines and test methods for determining the effects of natural and induced environments on equipment used in military or commercial applications.

Because certain ratings, standards and test methods are subject to interpretation, close scrutiny of a vendor's claims is recommended. To clearly understand a device's ability to perform where it will be used, it is important to obtain detailed testing information (validated by an independent body) and warranty statements from the manufacturer to verify a product's ability to operate in those environments. (See chart below.)

When looking at a rugged tablet PCs, verify that they can withstand the following real-world situations:

Drop

The operator drops the computer from chest height while collecting data or while moving between work areas as part of a daily routine.

Shock

The computer sustains unexpected force when mounted in a vehicle and that vehicle is involved in a collision or the computer is struck when in operation.

Vibration

The computer is constantly shaken from the low-level vibration associated with engine noise while mounted in a vehicle or is exposed to vibration extremes as part of everyday use from bumpy or unpaved roads and/or speed bumps.

Hazardous location

Computers may need to be taken into environments where sparks can't be generated to maintain the safety of personnel.

Sand, dust and moisture

The computer is used to complete mission-critical tasks in varying environments that include rain or dusty works sites.

Temperature

The computer is used by operators in variable temperatures. For instance it may be left sitting mounted in a vehicle with summer sun beating in while the operator is at lunch. It must resume operation when the user returns to the vehicle. It also must be ready to function in frigid temperatures.

Thermal shock

On a winter day the computer is moved from the office to freezing outdoor conditions for a period of time then moved back to the vehicle.

Our solution

We found an electronic tool that would allow storage and quick access to all those items for a minimal cost: the Xplore Technologies iX104 rugged Tablet PC. This tablet proved to be the best solution for us for a number of reasons.

The iX104 weighs about four pounds. One Aircraft Emergency Rescue Information technical order weighs 14 pounds. That weight aids in portability. Firefighters will not have a heavy, dangerous, unsecured item in a fire truck cab during an emergency response. The handheld PC is protected and secured in a case bolted to the inside of the fire vehicles, affording instant emergency access and portability outside of the vehicle when required. And no more wasted time printing, replacing and tracking paper products.

The unit is MIL-STD designed and tested to verify its ability to survive extreme environments. The product has 30 rugged design elements. By purchasing a rugged, durable computer for the department's emergency response vehicles, firefighters will have quick access to information required for emergency responses. No more wasting time searching through thousands of pages looking for one item. We can download them into an electronic format.

Each of the PCs has an ample screen for good viewing, compatible with any program using a Windows operating system. Updates are done using a pen drive or CD-ROM so there is no need to reprint pages. We can zoom in and out on maps with instant access to information at our fingertips. Applications can be opened with the touch of an icon. Lightweight and powerful, firefighters can even use the tablets' input pens while wearing gloves.

We downloaded all data onto an iX104 rugged Tablet PC and tested it during actual emergencies. Our firefighters have tested it and prefer it to the paper technical order. The cost savings alone resulted in the rugged PCs paying for themselves. The tablets enable users to download cost-free, save and access all information required for emergency responses.

Peterson Air Force Base realized substantial cost savings, quicker access to emergency data and ease of updates of emergency information. The Xplore unit's compact size is manually much easier to use than a 14-pound technical order, and less storage space is wasted on fire vehicles. There is complete compatibility with other computers, projectors and various electronic media for classroom training. There's no administrative workload printing copies and updates, and much more data can be stored on the PC than a multitude of other required emergency reference publications carried in fire vehicle cabs.

Today, the bulky binders are gone from the Peterson Air Force Base. The emergency crew uses an electronic stylus on a rugged Tablet PC screen and an aircraft's profile instantly pops up. The screen shows us all the hazards associated with the aircraft. Using a Tablet PC to access a database of the formerly paper-only manuals not only saves money, but the time it saves firefighters makes the difference between life and death in a critical situation.

We received a best-practice award for implementing the rugged tablet program — a first in the Air Force — at Peterson Air Force Base. The rugged Tablet PCs allow quicker access than any fire department in the Air Force (and DOD) to emergency aircraft information for every aircraft in the DOD inventory and for facility pre-incident plans.

As part of your selection process, ask the manufacturer to verify the tests that have been done of the product. Also confirm that those tests were done by an independent organization. Next, get confirmation from the manufacturer that the product actually passed the tests and see if the manufacturer will provide certifications. Doing this research and asking these questions will ensure that you get a mobile computing device that best meets your organization's needs and that you have the opportunity to experience the operational success that organizations such as Peterson Air Force Base's Fire Department have.

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Staff Sgt. Fred Itule is the fire protection crew chief for the Peterson Air Force Base.

Military Tests Stand at Attention

Below is a summary of the key standards and tests that determine a product's level of ruggedization and ability to operate in harsh environments.

Characteristic	Requirement	Test Method	Unit Status
Transit Shock (Drop)	48-inch drop, concrete, all surfaces, edges and corners (26 drops)	MIL-STD-810F Method 516.5	Test must be conducted while the unit is on with the hard drive at idle.
Crash Shock	75g, 11ms, Terminal Sawtooth	MIL-STD-810F Method 516.5	Test conducted while the unit is non-operating in the vehicle mount. Loose, protruding or hazardous parts are not acceptable.
Mechanical Shock	20g, 11ms, Terminal Sawtooth, Operating 40g, 11ms, Terminal Sawtooth, Non-Operating	MIL-STD-810F Method 516.5	Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Loss of critical function is not acceptable.
Vibration (Vehicle)	Composite Wheeled Vehicle	MIL-STD-810F Method 514.5	Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Temporary loss of function is acceptable only if recovery is automatic and does not require user intervention.
Immersion	Immerse system to 30cm in water Wait for 30 minutes, verify no bubbles from unit	MIL-STD-810F Method 512.4 Procedure 1	Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Temporary, intermittent or permanent loss of function is not acceptable.
Sand & Dust Particle	Size <149 mm, 10 ± 7 g/m3 particle density, 1.5 m/s to 8.9 m/s wind speed	MIL-STD-810F Method 510.4 Procedure I (Blowing Dust)	Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Ingress of sand or dust is not acceptable.
Operating Temperature	-20° C to +60° C	MIL-STD-810F Method 501.4	Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Temporary, intermittent or permanent loss of function not acceptable.
Thermal Shock	> 1.5° C < 5° C / min -20° C to +60° C	MIL-STD-810F Method 502.4	Verified during temperature cycle testing above. Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Temporary, intermittent or permanent loss of function not acceptable.
Salt Fog	5% saline for 48 hours (12 hr. wet, 12 hr. dry, 2 cycles)	MIL-STD-810F Method 509.4	Test must be conducted while the unit is operating. Fading or degradation of material composition is not acceptable. Ingress of moisture is not acceptable.