Assistance needed in a remote area — will a signaling balloon help?

Rescue me balloon

(UPDATE November 21, 2014: the Rescue Me Balloon is now on Kickstarter.)

A couple of weeks ago we told you about James Mosely who is asking for money to develop what he says is an improved fire shelter that would be “worn as a backpack, and deployed like a wingsuit” if a firefighter is about to be entrapped by a fast moving wildfire.

Another company will be starting a Kickstarter campaign to develop a Rescue Me Balloon which could signal that someone in a remote area needs assistance. The device, about the size of a banana before it is activated, would inflate and deploy on a 150-foot tether a lighter than air bright orange balloon with a flashing light.

Rescue me balloon

If a wildland firefighter needs immediate help, in the form of extraction due to an injury or aerial support if a fire is threatening their position, they have radios that usually work, and they may have a GPS receiver that would tell them their latitude and longitude. If both are functional at their exact position, they could tell others their coordinates. A balloon like this 150 feet above the ground could help those firefighters if they are having problems getting through on the radio, or if they can’t get a GPS signal. Once their location is discovered the balloon could be reeled in so as not to interfere with aircraft coming to their rescue. One potential problem might be the fact that extreme fire behavior often occurs during strong winds, so flying a balloon could be a challenge.

This device is certainly not the answer to keep firefighters safe and it’s not applicable in all situations, but who knows — it might reduce the time it takes to find them when they are in a life and death situation.

The estimated selling price is expected to be $75, but could be available for $40 during the Kickstarter campaign, which has not yet started. You can sign up and they will keep you posted on their progress.

The video below has more details.

Oh, and as far as I know, the Rescue Me Balloon is not affiliated with the excellent TV series, Rescue Me, that starred Denis Leary as a New York City firefighter.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Barbara.

Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. Please read the commenting rules before you post a comment.

Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

11 thoughts on “Assistance needed in a remote area — will a signaling balloon help?”

  1. Not to be a smart ass like so many others, I do see a real world application of this for both emergency responders and the public.

    Congrats to them on a great safety idea.

    0
    0
  2. How did a C 130 get involved in the discussion? Recreational use forget it. The Park Service and other agencies would s….t. Urgent time is important emergency ONLY product, bring it on. Cost is too low. Rescue Me should be in the same category as a parachute, AED, fire shelter, ELT, last resort. Several times in my career (flying on fires) the frantic call, “we have a serious problem”. Where are you? Gut wrenching stuff.

    0
    0
  3. How about stick to the 10 and 18 with LACES and focus on realsitic objectives for wildland firefighters and you’ll never need a ‘rescue balloon’ or ‘fire shelter wingsuit’.

    0
    0
  4. What??

    Like a Fulton surface to air recovery system like seen on the Green Berets?

    Really? A C130 orbiting around with 4 engines burning approximamtely 250 gallons per hour per engine?

    Extraction like landing nearby? What happens in heavy timber country?

    Either way, Fulton or landing a C130 “somewhere” to keep the firefighters safe requires quite and open area in either extraction scenario

    One word…

    Expensive!!

    0
    0
  5. Like krs said … If you’ve seen the old John Wayne “Green Berets”, you’ve seen it in action. But as far as I am aware, you can only snag one guy. STABO would be better, as any number of guys can hook in and get picked up by a chopper … Just did a google, system has since been updated to something called SPIE, but same idea. Not sure if that is available to non-military.

    0
    0
  6. Two words. C-130 Extraction.

    This will keep firefighter safe, as they can readily be extracted by a C-130 orbiting the area they are working.

    0
    0
    1. So are you suggesting a C-130 in orbit over each and every wildfire, just in case the 1 in a Million event occurs? How many C-130s to extract the folks on South Canyon (all 56 of them) or the Butte Fire (about 75 if memory serves me right)?
      Should this be just for Fed firefighters, or all the States, Counties and Volunteer departments too? All fires, or just “the BIG ones” that have a Team? And a minor but important question: who pays? And, oh yeah, are there really that many C-130s and qualified flight crews available? Just like the “Golden Hour” concept, this idea may sound good in theory but the practical reality may prove it infeasible.

      0
      0
    2. I think this is a sarcastic recommendation. I hope the people responding are also being sarcastic in believing that somebody wouldn’t think the idea is sarcastic.

      I see a balloon such as this having pretty limited use in wildfires – very small chance of being stranded and in danger without a radio or gps and also in conditions that would allow a 150 foot tether to actually be deployed without snagging something or getting blown away by wind. I could see it as another “out” for outdoor travel – whether leisure or working – in remote areas. Again, though, very minuscule chance of needing it and it being effective in most rescue conditions.

      0
      0
      1. Yes, it was a sarcastic recommendation, and it’s refreshing to see someone else out there caught it.

        Gadgets and gizmos will not keep me and my crew safe. Sound decisions and understanding human factors will and do. Once you can take the human element out of fire suppression, then you will be able to keep firefighters truly safe, and reach the unreachable goal of zero fatalities and injuries.

        0
        0

Comments are closed.