The TechSolutions Program recently announced the Halcyon FireGroundCompass® as the first product designed by a first responder, to havesurpassed the entire TechSolutions development path and operational testingregulations. The FireGround Compass®, designed by Halcyon Products, isan innovative, simple-to-use location device that assists first respondersto determine their position relative to an exit from a building or anIncident Command Post. It also allows first responders to establish theirbearings in smoky or dark conditions, thereby leading them to safety.

TechSolutions is a program within the Department of Homeland SecuritiesScience and Technology Directorate that assists with rapid prototyping oftechnologies for first responders that need science and technologydevelopment in order to get them ready for commercialization.TechSolutions provided funding to allow Halcyon Products to implementdesign changes based on first responder feedback, to begin beta testing,accelerate the product to commercialization and to guarantee a superiorproduct design. Greg Price, Director of the DHS TechSolutions program,said, "The Fireground Compass® is the first product designed by a firstresponder to go through the entire TechSolutions development path. TheFireGround Compass® is an innovative tool that has potential to savevaluable lives."

The Fireground Compass® combines a compass with rotating bezels. It hasa "building bezel" with four points labeled A-B-C-D, corresponding tofirefighters' current labeling system for each side of a building. First,the compass is oriented to north. Then, the bezel rotates to reference theA-B-C-D sides of the building. Together, the compass and rotating bezelcombine to give users a common reference point. A separate "command bezel"then indicates with an arrow, either where the Incident Command Post is orwhere the user entered the building. The compass is lit with an LED,making it easy to read in the dark, and it is very large, allowingfirefighters to easily maneuver the bezels without taking off their gloves.

Steve Nash, Battalion Chief of Solon (OH) Fire Department and co-founder ofHalcyon Products, designed the Fireground Compass® to preventfirefighters from becoming disoriented. Nash and Halcyon developed aprototype and approached TechSolutions for assistance after reading aboutthe new DHS program in Fire Chief Magazine and learning more from theTechSolutions Website (www.dhs.gov/techsolutions).

Chagrin Falls,Ohio-based Halcyon Products, Inc. supplies innovative products for Fire &EMS, Law Enforcement, Military and Sports markets to assist people inemergency situations and to train for emergency situations.

At Halcyon Products, Inc. tradition starts now!

www.halcyonproducts.com.