Situational Awareness Tool for Emergency Operators in the Field

This paper presents a mobile application designed to support emergency operators during indoor missions, where Global Positioning System (GPS) often fails. The system combines a wearable waist-mounted Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with a network of pre-installed Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, enabling robust, real-time geo-referenced tracking of both personnel and critical Points of Interest (PoIs), such as resources and threats. Development was guided by interviews and surveys with emergency professionals, ensuring the tool addresses real operational needs. Key features include dynamic updates of operator positions and nearby hazards, enabled by an Indoor Positioning System (IPS) that fuses IMU and RFID data to improve accuracy in position and heading estimation. The application also offers a user-friendly Human–Environment Interface (HEI) displaying information on a spatially referenced map. By merging advanced technology with expert feedback, this system enhances safety and coordination in critical scenarios, offering a promising solution for indoor navigation and Situational Awareness (SA) in emergency response.