Personal multimedia communication system and network for emergency services personnel

A communications network for emergency personnel, comprising:

• first and second personal communication systems (PCS) to be carried by respective first and second firefighters in a hazardous environment, wherein each of the first and second PCS includes an onboard data gathering device and at least one wireless transceiver, the transceivers of the first and second PCS being configured to communicate with one another over a broadcasting mesh network, the onboard data gathering devices collecting PASS data from a PASS system carried by the corresponding firefighter, the transceivers of the first and second PCS broadcasting PCS transmission signals including the PASS data associated with the first and second firefighters over the broadcasting mesh network;
• an imaging camera, carried by the second firefighter, the imaging camera detecting images of an environment where the second firefighter is located based on a direction in which the imaging camera is pointed;
• and
• a display, carried by the second firefighter, for displaying the images detected by the imaging camera, the display presenting positional information representative of a location of the first firefighter based on the PCS transmission signal from the transceiver of the first PCS.

A portable device for use in a hazardous environment to determine how to reach a firefighter carrying a personal communications system (PCS) while in the hazardous environment, the PCS including an onboard data gathering device and at least one wireless transceiver, the onboard data gathering device collecting PASS data from a PASS system carried by the firefighter, the transceiver broadcasting a PCS transmission signal, including the PASS data associated with the firefighter, over a broadcast mesh network, the portable device comprising:

• a wireless receiver, carried by a user, the receiver receiving the PCS transmission signal from the transceiver of the PCS over the broadcast mesh network;
• an imaging camera, carried by the user, the imaging camera detecting images of an environment where the user is located based on a direction in which the imaging camera is pointed;
• and
• a display, coupled to the imaging camera and to the wireless receiver, the display being carried by the user and displaying the images detected by the imaging camera, the display presenting positional information representative of a location of the firefighter based on the PCS transmission signal from the transceiver of the PCS carried by the firefighter.