Multi-sensor situational awareness system for enhanced fire personnel effectiveness in low-visibility conditions

A method of using a situational awareness system, the method comprising:

• manually or mechanically launching a high-temperature-resistant enclosure of the situational awareness system such that the high-temperature-resistant enclosure is delivered to a location at or near a high-temperature area;
• detecting one or more environmental factors using one or more sensors encased by a high-temperature-resistant enclosure of the situational awareness system, wherein a first at least one of the one or more environmental factors is detected using a radar sensor of the one or more sensors, and wherein a second at least one of the one or more environmental factors indicates a presence of life;
• communicating first data corresponding to the detected one or more environmental factors from the one or more sensors to a first computer encased by the high-temperature-resistant enclosure of the situational awareness system;
• performing a wireless communication between the first computer and a second computer using a wireless communication interface of the first computer;
• receiving, at the second computer, sensor data from the first computer;
• and
• displaying, on a user interface of the second computer, a visual depiction of at least a portion of an environment near the high-temperature-resistant enclosure, wherein the visual depiction is based at least in part on the sensor data.

A multi-sensor situational awareness system comprising:

• a high-temperature-resistant enclosure configured for one or more of manual and mechanical launching;
• at least one window disposed on the high-temperature-resistant enclosure;
• two or more sensors encased by the high-temperature-resistant enclosure, the two or more sensors comprising:
• a radar sensor;
• and
• a thermal sensor;
• a first computer comprising a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a second computer, wherein the first computer is encased by the high-temperature-resistant enclosure;
• the second computer, wherein the second computer is located remote from the high-temperature-resistant enclosure, the second computer comprising:
• one or more processors;
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable media;
• a user interface;
• and
• program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that are executable by the one or more processors to:
• receive sensor data from the first computer;
• and
• display, on the user interface, a visual depiction of at least a portion of an environment near the high-temperature-resistant enclosure, wherein the visual depiction is based at least in part on the sensor data,
• wherein the two or more sensors are configured to detect a presence of life, wherein the two or more sensors are communicatively coupled to the first computer, and wherein one or more of the first computer and the second computer are configured to correlate radar data from the radar sensor with thermal data from the thermal sensor.