JANUS Delivering Promising Technology for Fire Mitigation
03/19/2025
Through a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division administered under the Department of Commerce, JANUS Research Group (JANUS) created a mobile application that works to meet public safety needs by addressing wildfire preparedness in the interface between woodland and urban areas (WUI). Kishan Shetty, JANUS' director of training and readiness solutions, served as principal investigator for the development of the application that allows homeowners to assess their homes for fire safety, makes recommendations on how to make properties more firesafe, and provides much–needed educational access to information for mitigating fire danger.
Urban areas are encroaching on woodland areas as populations grow, with communities being built in places where water is scarce or that are located a good distance from the nearest fire departments, making it ever more critical that homeowners are educated in fire safety and take proper precautions to mitigate fire danger. JANUS' mobile software framework enables just that. It provides education to those using the app along with home mapping and recommendations on how to better equip homes to deal with potential wildfires. Shetty says the new application is innovative and while it is challenging to work on, the benefits are significant. "We needed to figure out how to provide tools for people in rural areas who may have limited internet connectivity," he said. "We ultimately decided to create an application with augmented reality and artificial intelligence interfaces that doesn't require internet connectivity while in use."
While it's not developed specifically for firefighters to use, JANUS worked closely with the City of Boise, Idaho Fire Department; the Western Fire Chiefs Association; and others to test the efficacy of the new software application. In an interview with Boise's KTVB7 news station, Boise FD Assistant Chief Romeo Gervais says the app will reduce the risk of wildfire damage, improving safety for homeowners and firefighters. The app was published to the Apple App Store to conduct a study with Boise residents. JANUS is currently reviewing the data and making improvements, and then plans to offer the technology more widely.
The NIST grant and its resulting technology is one way JANUS is leveraging its technological solutions to provide relevant products designed to make the world a little safer. For more information on how JANUS Research Group can provide customizable solutions for you, contact us today.
