GLANSER: Geospatial location, accountability, and Navigation System for Emergency Responders - system concept and performance assessment

A system that provides accurate and reliable location of Emergency Responders (ERs) in all types of environments presents multifaceted technological challenges. The system is intended to provide indoor/outdoor precision navigation, robust communications and real-time position updates on remote command display devices. Operational requirements include rapid and nonintrusive deployment, scalability to 500 users and seamless integration with existing procedures. Additional challenges are imposed by the need for a device that minimizes size, weight, and power with the ability to operate in uncertain and potentially hazardous in-building environments.