Rescue Workers Can Warn Doctors of Number of Casualties and Types of Injuries during Mass Rescues

Firefighters in California are testing a system that uses RFID to speed rescue times and help warn doctors about large influxes of patients after an accident or natural disaster.

Previously, California used paper-based systems which caused major confusion in the tracking of rescued people. Instead of relying on a singular line of communication using paper labels, rescue workers can tear off color-coded labels after assigning RFID tags to victims, denoting the gravity of their injury and level of medical attention needed. 

The system is designed to track casualties in real time as people are moved from the scene of an accident to a hospital. Once up and running, this RFID application may save lives by speeding up the rescue process. It also helps rescue workers inform relatives on the whereabouts of their loved ones.

Other fire departments have hopes that they can use RFID to track firefighters as they work inside burning buildings. The rescue workers would be tracked with active tags sewn into their fire-proof suits or attached to their breathing devices. If the system detected that a fireman’s tag stopped moving, other rescue workers could be sent in to locate him with handheld readers.