In this episode we focus on using data to help predict where home fires may occur and technology to help detect them in vacant properties. This episode also ties into an earlier one Data and Smoke Alarms in New Orleans that you might be interested in. Using data to predict fires e start by talking with Jon Jay, a doctoral student at the Harvard School of Public Health, and author of the article “Can Algorithms Predict House Fires.” In this article, and on this podcast, Jay talks about how it is possible to use data to predict where house fires are more likely to occur in a city so that the fire department can better focus its prevention and home safety visits, and the results are astounding. By randomly visiting neighborhoods, it was determined that a fire department would probably visit 20% of the homes likely to have a fire. However, by using a data-driven approach, this percentage jumped to 71% resulting in a much more effective and efficient use of staffing. The data that was used is from publicly available sources, and by bringing together a variety of data sources it is possible to refine the model significantly and really hone in on the geographic areas of the city as well as the different property types. Using technology to detect fires We then have a conversation with Nathan Armentrout from Eidolon who invented CASPER – Continuous Autonomous Solar Powered Event Reporter. This is a device that is installed in vacant homes and listens for the sound of a smoke alarm in the building then sends out an alert by cellular signal to the cloud. This device came about as a result of a hackathon sponsored by Louisville, Kentucky, where there was a problem of fires in vacant homes. These fires were creating significant risks to the other homes around them because they were not being detected until they were well developed instead of in their early stages. The city put the problem forward to the Level 1 hackerspace, and competition was put together to find a solution. Armentrout developed CASPER which has been successfully pilot tested in Louisville and he is now rolling out in beta to other cities.
Victoria Reinhartz
Dr. Victoria Reinhartz is an industry leader within Emergency Medical Services and the Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Health Consultants, helping Mobile Integrated Health and Community Paramedicine teams establish frameworks, track outcomes, and prove their impact as they navigate the path to revenue. She is also the founder of MIH Academy, providing education and training to paramedicine teams. As a lead faculty within the MIH Academy, Dr. Reinhartz helps community paramedics take their real-world experience and establish themselves as board certified industry leaders.
Dr. Reinhartz is a national advocate for innovative models of care, serving on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Mobile Integrated Healthcare Providers and is an Advisor for Vision 20/20 Community Risk Reduction, a project of the Institution of Fire Engineers-USA Branch. Innovation is at the forefront of her work with Rainbow Health, bringing care coordination, behavioral health specialists, and medication management to teams across the U.S. Dr. Reinhartz is also the Mobile Integrated Health subject matter expert for the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the first entity to establish accreditation standards for Mobile Integrated Health and Community Paramedicine within the United States.
For her leadership and exceptional care provision within Emergency Medical Services and Mobile Integrated Health, Dr. Reinhartz has received a Chief’s Commendation Award, a Congressional EMS Unit Citation Award, and national recognition from the United States Public Health Service.
Dr. Reinhartz has been named a 2021 Top 50 Most Influential Leader, and was also selected as the 2020 Next Generation Civic Leader, an honor awarded to one pharmacist nationwide whose vision for interprofessional care best spotlights the needs of underserved communities.
