From the Office of Senator Kerry

Thursday, April 13, 2000

Washington, D.C. – Senator John F. Kerry announced today that the Senate Commerce Committee has authorized $1 million for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in the names of the six Worcester firefighters who tragically perished last December, to explore new advances in fire safety technology.

The Kerry amendment that was included in the Earth, Wind, and Fire Authorization Act of 1999 honors these brave firefighters by authorizing funding within the United States Fire Administration budget to ensure that this tragedy is never repeated. The research project will focus on recent advances in information technology and integrated electronics that will identify the location of each rescue team member (in three dimensions) to the incident command post outside the building; provide health status on each team member and on conditions in the exit path; and provide "homing" signals to guide searchers in locating firefighters in trouble.

"Firefighters risk their lives every day to protect us. It is vital that the most advanced technology possible be employed to ensure their safety," Senator Kerry said. "By partnering with Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Center for Fire Safety Studies to develop safety devices, we can honor the six brave Worcester firefighters we lost last year by helping to ensure that future tragedies are averted. This technology will place a homing device on each firefighter, enabling their location to be constantly monitored. It can make the difference between life and death in the smoke, fire, and sheer chaos that too often claims the lives of our most dedicated public servants."

"Today's action is an important step in protecting our firefighters," Rep. McGovern said. "Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Center for Fire Safety Studies is a vital and innovative part of our efforts. We must apply the technological advances we have made in other areas to protecting our firefighters. I applaud Senator Kerry and the Senate Commerce Committee for this action, and I look forward to working with my colleagues as this legislation advances."

The fire-safety research will be conducted at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), which is home to the Center for Fire Safety Studies. The Center is one of two universities in the world offering graduate degrees in fire protection engineering. In the name of the late firefighters, WPI has developed a research program for tracking and locating firefighters and other emergency personnel inside buildings.

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