Distress Signal Units (“DSU”)

A DSU, or “man-down unit”, is the last lifeline for a stricken fire fighter.  When a fire fighter gets into difficulty, the role of the DSU is to alert his/her colleagues and aid in their search.

Current DSU sounds contain no localisation clues to enable the position of the fire fighter to be determined. SAL was approached by the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CACFOA), with the view of improving the sounds emitted by DSUs, using The Localizer technology.

The Localizer model DSU sound has been tested in the field by West Yorkshire Fire Service, resulting in a reduction in rescue times of 50%, when compared to existing DSU sounds.

Download Fire Magazine Jan 2000 article which describes the research done by the Fire Brigade into this application (540k .pdf file).