• ETRI Journal
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1046-1055
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• 2023

We introduce a display for virtual-reality (VR) fire training. Firefighters prefer to wear and operate a real breathing apparatus while experiencing full visual immersion in a VR fire space. Thus, we used a thin head-mounted display (HMD) with a light field and folded optical system, aiming to both minimize the volume for integration in front of the face into a breathing apparatus and maintain adequate visibility, including a wide viewing angle and resolution similar to that of commercial displays. We developed the optical system testing modules and prototypes of the integrated breathing apparatus. Through iterative testing, the thickness of the output optical module in front of the eyes was reduced from 50 mm to 60 mm to less than 20 mm while maintaining a viewing angle of 103°. In addition, the resolution and image quality degradation of the light field in the display was mitigated. Hence, we obtained a display with a structure consistent with the needs of firefighters in the field. In future work, we will conduct user evaluation regarding fire scene reproducibility by combining immersive VR fire training and real firefighting equipment.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.352-355
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• 2018

Hazardous work zones (i.e., hot, warm, and cold) are typically established by emergency response teams during hazardous materials (HAZMAT) calls but less consistently for fire responses to segment personnel and response activities in the immediate geographic area around the fire. Despite national guidelines, studies have documented the inconsistent use of respiratory protective equipment by firefighters at the fire scene. In this case-series report, we describe warm zone gas levels using multigas detectors across five independent fire incident responses all occurring in a large South Florida fire department. Multigas detector data collected at each fire response indicate the presence of sustained levels of volatile organic compounds in the "warm zone" of each fire event. These cases suggest that firefighters should not only implement strategies for multigas detector use within the warm zone but also include respiratory protection to provide adequate safety from toxic exposures in the warm zone.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2012

Forest fires were easy to be larger in Korea. So the utilization of aircrafts, especially helicopters, for forest fire attack would be increased gradually. In the forest fire attack process, the improvement of the helicopter aerial fire attack technique and safety were the chief element for efficient forest fire attack. In this study, we surveyed the recognition of pilots who worked in Forest Aviation Office which was responsible for aerial forest fire attack in Korea. Using these survey results, we suggested more efficient and safer method for aerial fire fighting based on actual experience of air attack at the scene of forest fire burning.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.497-498
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• 2018

In the fire scene, it is difficult to see 1m ahead because of power failure, smoke and toxic gas, even with thermal imaging camera and Xenon searchlight. Analysis of the smoke particles in the fire scene shows that even if the smoke is $5{\mu}m$ or less in wavelength, it is difficult to obtain a front view when using a conventional thermal imaging camera if the visual distance exceeds 1 meter. In the case of black smoke with a particle wavelength of $5{\mu}m$ or more, a space permeation sensor technology using various sensors other than a single sensor is required because chemical materials, gas, and water molecules are mixed. Firefighters need a smoke detection technology for smoke detection and spatial information visualization for forward safety view.In this paper, we design the interface of the information processing system with 32bit CPU core and peripheral circuit. We also implemented and simulated the interface with Lidar sensor. Through this, we provide interface that can implement information processing system of human enhancement fire helmet in the future.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.211-216
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• 2012

Fires are the most common disaster and early fire detection is of great importance to minimize the consequent damage. Simple sensors including smoke detectors are widely used for the purpose but they are able to sense fires only at close proximity. Recently, due to the rapid advances of relevant technologies, vision-based fire sensing has attracted growing attention. In this paper, a novel visual sensing technique to automatically detect fire is presented. The proposed technique consists of multiple steps of image processing: pixel-level, block-level, and frame level. At the first step, fire flame pixel candidates are selected based on their color values in YIQ space from the image of a camera which is installed as a vision sensor at a fire scene. At the second step, the dynamic parts of flames are extracted by comparing two consecutive images. These parts are then represented in regularly divided image blocks to reduce pixel-level detection error and simplify following processing. Finally, the temporal change of the detected blocks is analyzed to confirm the spread of fire. The proposed technique was tested using real fire images and it worked quite reliably.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.12-17
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• 2005

This paper aims at the development of an knowledge base for an electrical fire cause diagnosis system using the entity relation database. The relation database which provides a very simple but powerful way of representing data is widely used. The system focused on database construction and cause diagnosis can diagnose the causes of electrical fires easily and efficiently. In order to store and access to the information concerned with electrical fires, the key index items which identify electrical fires uniquely are derived out. The knowledge base consists of a case base which contains information from the past fires and a rule base with rules from expertise. To implement the knowledge base, Access 2000, one of DB development tools under windows environment and Visual Basic 6.0 are used as a DB building tool. For the reasoning technique, a mixed reasoning approach of a case based inference and a rule based inference has been adopted. Knowledge-based reasoning could present the cause of a newly occurred fire to be diagnosed by searching the knowledge base for reasonable matching. The knowledge-based database has not only searching functions with multiple attributes by using the collected various information(such as fire evidence, structure, and weather of a fire scene), but also more improved diagnosis functions which can be easily wed for the electrical fire cause diagnosis system.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2014

This study is about determination of fire origin by using analysis of shadow that was recorded CCTV data at the fire scene. This analysis is based on straight and radiate nature of light. At fire experiment with about 1m flame, we conformed that 2-dimensional extension line is focused at the bottom of the fire. If the fire is burning at the same level with shadow, it indicate the point of origin exactly. In 3-dimensional analysis that connect extensional line between distinctive points the shadow and the objet, the line focused in the ${\emptyset}$ 50cm-circle. We estimate the reason of that is because of the character of combustion of gases. The line indicate not the point of origin but the flame that is over the point of origin. thus, you have to consider the line indicate the flame when you do 3-dimensional analysis.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.108-118
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• 2011

In this study, strengths related with fire investigation of fire stations are analyzed and methods for the capacity building of their fire cause investigation are suggested. The methods for capacity building of fire cause investigation suggested are focused on using potential and strengths of current fire fighting and enhancing internal capacity rather than reinforcing investigation personnel, organization, and equipment and ensuring investigation power. The methods suggested in this study are as follows. 1) Because fire investigation results are the basis of fire administration, fire marshals should change their awareness of the need of fire investigation; 2) A fire investigation system should be established to ensure statements of people concerned systematically; 3) A substantial system of fire cause investigation should be established to investigate fire scenes more than twice; 4) A substantial system of fire cause investigation should be established to use such materials as CCTV; 5) Extinguishing should be made in consideration of fire cause investigation and a scene preservation system after extinguishing should be established; 6) A fire investigation system should be established in connection with 119 first-aid and rescue teams and 7) Steps to raise the morale of fire investigation staff should be taken.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.18-23
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• 2010

This paper describes a cause of fire accidents on power system fire DC electric traction vehicles. We investigated fire scene of power line for DC electric traction vehicles. From analysis results, the cause of fire on power line turned out line to ground fault between a feeder of electric power services(pantagraph) and DC electric traction vehicle roof. Fire accident of DC electric traction vehicles be assumed that electric sparks had been produced between the pantagraph and the power line conductor by repetitively making contact and separation, maybe if some material like branches get in between connecting rod it makes progress line to ground fault. ZnO arresters are widely used to protect DC electric traction vehicles against overvoltages caused by lightning or switching surges. However, the arresters are deteriorated by commercial overvoltages and/or lightning one. The deteriorated arresters could lead power failures, such as line to ground fault by a thermal runaway resulting from the increases in leakage current even in a nominal power system voltage. Finally, the power failures would be causative of the fire accident.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2019

Recently, increases in major disasters such as fires, earthquakes and typhoons have raised public expectations for safety. In addition to this increase in expectations of safety, the government continues to push for more manpower and better treatment for firefighters who are operating in the disaster scene. Despite the improvement of working conditions and increased welfare for firefighters, however, the incidence and turnover of various mental diseases continues to increase. It is reported that many of the diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder and the turnover of firefighters are due to a mismatch in individual's personality and work environment. In this study, 108 firefighters were evaluated for their vocational aptitude in the new curriculum. Based on the analysis results, new firefighters were proposed to provide employment and education training improvements, and to provide job security suitable for the individual's personality type through the introduction of the vocational aptitude test for firefighters who are working in the fire service. In addition, we would like to use the vocational aptitude test as a material for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and increasing turnover through long-term tracking and observation, rather than from a one-off perspective.