FirstVision ... user friendly.
Notifier’s new tool redefines fire safety
01 October 2005
Notifier, a world-leading manufacturer of commercial fire alarm technology and systems has launched a revolutionary wayfinding navigational tool for firefighters and other emergency responders -the Onyx FirstVision.
The new tool is revolutionary in that it allows incident commanders to focus on critical information necessary for making fast, effective and well-informed decisions, speeding scene size-up and execution of response operations, says a company spokesman. “Only Onyx FirstVision, a PC-based touch screen, graphically displays critical information on the origin and spread of a fire; allowing firefighters to quickly locate and extinguish the fire, reducing property loss and saving lives,” he adds.
Using Onyx FirstVision, emergency responders can immediately gather the information needed to accurately pinpoint the source of the fire and the rate at which it's spreading. In addition, Onyx FirstVision is an interactive display summarising building floor plans, with the location of all fire alarm devices, water supplies, evacuation routes, access routes, fire barriers, gas, power and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) shutoffs, as well as chemical and structural hazards in the building.
“Developed following extensive research and interviews with senior level professional firefighters, Onyx FirstVision is easy to use and requires no special training,” says the spokesman. Before Onyx InSight, a building’s fire alarm control panels were the primary source of information for firefighters arriving on the scene. Typically, fire alarm control panels display activated alarms as a list in alphanumeric location code with limited descriptions. But with Onyx FirstVision connected to the fire alarm control panels, crucial information is easy to interpret with a spatial, graphical depiction of the location and sequence of detector activation. And unlike traditional graphic annunicators, Onyx FirstVision is interactive, allowing emergency responders to access information they need to conduct safe and efficient emergency response operations, he explains.
