Virginia-based NextNav is adding mission-critical vertical location intelligence to wearables from Bodytrak, a UK firm that deliver real-time first responder physiological data to command centres.

Despite consumer wearable technology advancements in recent years, emergency services personnel require more rugged products for active monitoring that can withstand hazardous environments and various on-duty risk factors. These include heat stress, fatigue, dehydration, hyperthermia, hypothermia, endurance, head impact and fitness for deployment.

With real-time automated alerts for key markers of heat stress, fatigue and unconsciousness, Bodytrak provides command centres with critical data to assess personnel needs. The integration of NextNav’s Pinnacle technology should allow for precise indoor vertical positioning to supplement indoor and outdoor geolocation, enabling efficient intervention to prevent incidents and facilitating rapid assistance. Personnel can be safeguarded through Bodytrak’s real-time alerts via a cloud-enabled dashboard, SMS and email notifications.

“Overexertion and stress accounts for 54% of deaths for US firefighters,” said Leon Marsh, CEO of Bodytrak. “Knowing these data in real time is mission critical for all agencies, but just as critical is knowing precisely where these individuals can be found. The barometric sensor in Bodytrak earpieces will now seamlessly leverage NextNav’s precision z-axis service to ensure first responders can get the help they need, wherever they are.”

Rob Clark, NextNav’s senior director of public safety, added: “As the use of wearables increases in public safety, Bodytrak provides important capabilities for first responders and addresses the critical need for tracking personnel vitals and location information during emergency events. NextNav is proud to partner with Bodytrak on a wearable that can provide vertical location without adding an additional device to first responder gear to save lives.”

The Pinnacle network delivers precise vertical location in 4400 US cities and towns, capturing more than 90% of buildings greater than three stories. Pinnacle powers applications across the public safety community to support stronger situational awareness for first responders. In recent years, multiple wireless operators and other key businesses in the communications industry have selected Pinnacle to provide z-axis capabilities to enhance caller geolocation and emergency response outcomes.

Bodytrak captures real-time physiological data from a wearable earpiece with multiple sensors and uses machine-learning algorithms to provide critical alerts to both the user via audio prompts and a supervisor via the real-time dashboard so intervention can be enabled, and incidents prevented.

NextNav enables an ecosystem of applications and services that rely upon vertical location and resilient geolocation technology. The company’s Pinnacle network delivers highly accurate vertical positioning to transform location services and reflect the 3D world. Its TerraPoint network delivers accurate, reliable and resilient positioning, navigation and timing services to support critical infrastructure and other GPS-reliant systems in the absence or failure of GPS.