AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Pflugerville Fire Department (PFD) is experimenting with an alert system that tells fire fighters about incidents—without startling them.
The system that PFD has been trialing is called EaseAlert. Specifically, within the EaseAlert ecosystem, PFD has been using watches that vibrate to get the attention of fire fighters.
“When a call comes, [the watch] will vibrate and notify me that there’s an alarm, and then I have the ability to come towards the truck or station,” said Trevor Stokes, the Captain of the Pflugerville Fire Department (Travis County ESD 2).
Stokes said it’s important to improve the way fire fighters are alerted to reduce stress.
“When the traditional alerting systems go off, the members of the fire department are experiencing a surge in heart rate—almost to the point of tachycardia.” Stokes said.
Stokes also said that they have been experimenting with softer lights, gentler alarms and a bed that vibrates for alerting firefighters.
President of the Austin Fire Association, Bob Nicks, said investing in technology that helps firefighters is a step in the right direction.
“Firefighters mental health is a real emerging issue in our industry,” Nicks said. “We’ve had suicides, in the Austin Fire Department—Five—in the last several years—six seven years—those are all job related.”
As a former Battalion Chief, Nicks emphasized the need for reducing stressors in what he said is already a stressful job.
“We want to figure out all the sorts of treatments we can do to reduce that stress, to keep our people functional,” Nicks said.
There is a voluntary treatment facility dedicated to helping firefighters deal with work-related stressors called the international association of firefighters’ center of excellence. The organization helps firefighters deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and other behavioral health challenges.