5 in 2025: Fire Service Technolgy Trends

Looking back on 2024, there were several big leaps in fire service technology and promises of more to come in 2025. It was great to catch up with the best and brightest at the FireFusion Conference in Charleston, SC, and I, for one, was inspired by the projects, programs, products, and services that are going to be available in 2025 to help our fire service industry be safer, more effective, and more efficient.

While there is no crystal ball that can predict the future, there are emerging trends that are going to prove to be disruptive technology for the fire service. Essentially, these technologies that are going to change how we do business. With that, here are the top five fire service technology trends for 2025, from my perspective.

1 - Artificial Intelligence - AI is quickly gaining momentum throughout nearly every industry including the fire and emergency services. Advanced facial and biometric recognition, transcription of video/voice/radio, live image analysis, incident documentation, data analysis and reporting tools, 9-1-1 call processing, situational reporting, and quality assurance/improvement tools are going to change the landscapes they touch in profound ways. Imagine dictating your incident narrative and having it fill out portions of the NFIRS/NERIS or ePCR for you. This is one of the many AI-powered tools being released by First Due shortly, followed by QA/QI tools, reporting tools, and even scheduling automations.  The opportunities to reduce the burdens on operational crews or use technology to help fill the gaps caused by limitations of staffing are all on the horizon. Other powerful tools currently in use, such as AI imagery analysis to help monitor remote areas for wildfires, are gaining additional capabilities and will easily become a mainstream technology in the near future. 

2 - Big data for a data-assisted fire service - By now, most of us are aware of the major initiatives by the US Fire Administration to roll out the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) which is a major overhaul of the U.S. data collection system meant to replace the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) that has been in place since the 1970’s.  Standardized data definitions, direct interfacing with vendors, and adding geospatial elements will vastly improve the quality, timeliness, and compliance with reporting requirements. However, it will also be able to train machine learning models that are being developed to improve community hazard management and risk reduction initiatives. Looking beyond just historical data analysis, there are initiatives that are beginning to leverage big data for trend and predictive analysis. As we continue to connect to the other sources of siloed information, we are quickly approaching opportunities to assist operational crews and administrators make data assisted decisions by predicting future trends.

3 - Wearable technology - Whether providing additional communication options, pinpointing exact locations in complex structures, adding enhanced or augmented reality overlays, or providing insights into firefighter physiological changes future firefighters are going to have tools that are entering the realm of what was once science fiction. Be on the lookout for opportunities to obtain tech like the C-Thru by Qwake Technologies which improves navigation, communication, and coordination in critical environments through augmented reality. Health and fitness monitors with real-time reporting can help identify firefighters at risk for cardiac incidents and be used to create personalized fitness programs. Smart clothing embedded with sensors are another option that can provide the user with alerts for hyperthermia, falls, presence of toxic gases and substances, and dangerous physiological signs/symptoms. Ultimately, as sensor technology becomes more precise, lighter, and less energy dependent it is going to gain more use in the fire service.

4 - Smart City/Smart Building integrations - There have been huge leaps, some in part to newer 5G technology that is allowing an explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and interconnected systems. While this tech has been gaining traction in other industries, once the infrastructure is built there are new and emerging uses for public safety organizations. Thermal sensors built for environmental management, advanced traffic monitoring/control, and networks of camera systems can easily be leveraged to provide intel to dispatched crews while enroute or be the foundation for city-wide alarm systems. Beyond Smart Cities, new building technology is a promising source for integration with public safety services. Buildings that are smart enough to know if they are occupied in order to make adjustments to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems can provide data and meta data that would help provide insight into the survivability profile of trapped occupants under emergency conditions. Targeted alarm and extinguishing systems are another trend within the smart building technology that could benefit the fire and emergency services of the future.

5 - Advanced drones - While drones are not a new concept, the potential for fully automated drones that can fly in all conditions and beyond the line of site of the operator are under consideration. Major developments using machine learning are quickly upgrading drone collision avoidance systems so they can be trusted to perform specific tasks while still being able to manage unexpected surprises. The biggest limitation to increasing drone usage beyond operator line-of site operations is battery life, which is a high priority for stored power companies. Improving efficiency, reducing weight, and using more energy efficient components are evolving to improve drone capabilities while also reducing the price to obtain the technology. Even tethered drone options from companies like FotoKite that can be deployed from vehicles are gaining more attention for their quick deployment, aerial views, and thermal imaging capability. While less prevalent, there are also advancements in drone swarms and micro drones that have promising futures for search and rescue, or 3D imaging uses.

The effort companies are putting towards creating solutions for the issues and callenges experienced by fire and emergency service providers definitely feels like it is quickening. Technological advancements are creating new opportunities for improving the services we provide but more importantly are also enhancing firefighter safety and health.