For a fire to break out, it needs oxygen, combustible material and enough heat in the right proportions. Extinguishing requires an extinguishing agent, equipment, vehicles and a team. In addition, an operations management who gives the instructions and must always have an overview: What extinguishing agents, equipment, vehicles and emergency services are available? Where is there a fire and to what extent? Where are affected people? What particular dangers could emergency services encounter? This can be quite complex if the situation is large. Previously, each of this information had to be discovered on your own or passed on to operations management via radio or telephone. Things are different today: the modern deployment site is digitalized.

Modern possibilities create modern problems

As a rule, operations managers today use operations control software. Ideally, this will no longer be fed with information manually, but will be fed automatically with live data from all operational resources and forces. Processes such as respiratory protection monitoring may already be automated. This means that operations management knows the situation at all times, even without constant radio status queries. Really makes work easier!

But in practice, a problem often arises: different interfaces can block data exchange; for example, it may happen that a mission control software can only manage vehicles from a specific manufacturer. Because today's market reality primarily consists of manufacturer-dependent isolated solutions.

Vision “IMBOS”

A group of five companies has set itself the goal of solving this problem. The name: IMBOS, short for “Information Management for BOS” (authorities and organizations with security tasks). It connects information that is crucial for a security and readiness assessment of a situation, effective operational command and the management of emergency forces, vehicles and equipment and makes it visible live.

The special feature: IMBOS should be open to products from all manufacturers. “We are firmly convinced that there is no need for another manufacturer-dependent system,” emphasizes Johannes Taglang (Ziegler).

IMBOS thus provides a comprehensive solution to the coexistence of numerous individual IM systems. The key word is “standardization”: Universal interfaces and software configurations that all interested manufacturers can integrate into their product portfolio ensure networkability. “IMBOS is supposed to be, so to speak, the Swiss army knife that works for all operational situations,” summarizes Peter Breuer. He is involved in the project with his companies MP-BOS and Prodico. The other project partners are Eurocommand GmbH, Albert Ziegler GmbH and ZF Friedrichshafen AG. We do not see ourselves as a closed group, but every manufacturer is invited to become part of IMBOS - this was announced by representatives of all five companies at Rettmobil in May 2023.

The “IMBOSready” label is awarded for compatible hardware and software solutions. It guarantees that the products marked with it meet the predefined standards for integration into the IMBOS cloud network.

Components of IMBOS

IMBOS currently contains components from management support, administration and remote services (e.g. for maintenance and diagnostics) as well as individual connectivity products:

• IMBOS ID: Authentication
• IMBOS Interface: Universal interface
• IMBOS Dashboard: User interface
• individual connectivity products, e.g. B. “Crew Tags”

Expert network

As an open platform for emergency services, IMBOS wants to become a Europe-wide network of experts. Therefore, the organizational form of a non-profit association was decided upon. The purpose of the association is to promote digitalization and IT security in the areas of security, fire brigade, rescue services and disaster control. The association has the following tasks in particular:

• It provides a digital platform for the exchange and networking of aid organizations and authorities in Europe.
• It defines standards to ensure this exchange of information is secure.
• He develops a concept for maintaining data protection.
• It creates a dialogue platform through working groups, specialist conferences and participation in trade fairs.
• He participates in research and development.
• He cooperates with trade associations, authorities and manufacturers and is involved in standardization work.

The association would like to provide an “IMBOS Taskforce” for major disaster situations, which can be requested as part of the Disaster Response Program (DRP).

Example: fire operation

What would the fire operation mentioned at the beginning look like if the operations management used IMBOS? On the way to the building fire, the operations manager receives information and data about the building via the mobile operations manager app (Eurocommand), for example that it does not have a BMA, that it is a residential building with several residential units and that 13 people are registered there . She can see the status of her own vehicles in the app: These are equipped with the “VCU Pro Vehicle On-Board Unit” (ZF Friedrichshafen AG), a gateway that connects the CAN BUS of the vehicle (Ziegler) with the ZF Rescue Connect Cloud connects - whose data can in turn be accessed via a special bridge (Prodico) on the operations manager app. The portable pump and the roof launcher are also connected to the cloud via permanently installed “Equipment On-Board Units”.

Once at the scene, our operations manager takes over overall operational management and also has to manage the vehicles, equipment and crew of a neighboring fire department that has also been alerted. Their vehicles and devices are not equipped with on-board units, but that is not a problem: “Vehicle Tags” are plugged into the cigarette lighters of the vehicles (ZF Friedrichshafen). With these gateways as a plug-and-play solution, the neighboring fire department's vehicles can also be networked on an ad hoc basis. Every emergency worker receives a “crew tag” in credit card format that connects them to the cloud. Data such as their capabilities (e.g. suitability for respiratory protection) could be noted on it. The “Life Tags” work in a similar way for affected people, e.g. B. their triage category is noted.

The operations manager now has a complete live overview of the status and whereabouts of the deployed forces and vehicles as well as the patients. She has live data that she could otherwise only obtain through on-site exploration and surveys. This means she can make decisions faster and more targeted. She can then use the data collected during the mission for her mission report
use and forward them to the workshop, which knows directly which devices need to be serviced and can prepare their billing (via MP-BOS components).

There is a special application for the “equipment tags” (portable gateways for pieces of equipment): attached to specially designed dog collars, they can track the movements of rescue dogs when searching for people, so that it is always clear which areas have already been searched.

All products and brands mentioned in the example are exemplary.

What's next?

On April 5, 2023, the founding members Albert Ziegler GmbH, Eurocommand GmbH, MP-BOS GmbH, Prodico GmbH, ZF Friedrichshafen AG as well as the individuals Sascha Pomp and Peter Breuer gathered in Berlin to decide to found the association. The managing director of Eurocommand GmbH Sascha Pomp was unanimously elected as the first chairman of the association, and the managing director of MP-BOS GmbH Peter Breuer was unanimously elected as his deputy. Under her leadership, the non-profit organization IMBOS e. V. is now registered in the association register in Berlin under the association number “VR 40527 B”, which represents a significant milestone.

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