PHOENIX - When a firefighter goes into a burning building there's no way of telling where they are from the outside.
On the inside, smoke, flames and darkness make it hard for that firefighter to know exactly where they're located as well.
This can spell disaster if something goes wrong, like a beam or ceiling collapses and traps that firefighter, said Honeywell Response Solutions Spokeswoman Claire Miller.
Miller said it can be difficult for a rescue crew to find the fallen firefighter on time.
Honeywell has designed new technology to help solve that problem, said Miller. It's called GLANSER technology and it tracks and locates firefighters inside a burning building.
Firefighters wear technology packs on their backs, then a fire commander tracks them using a laptop computer outside the building. The commander can see the locations of up to 500 firefighters in one building that's as high as 50 stories, said Miller.
Phoenix firefighters performed search and rescue exercises this week under simulated conditions to test the system's ability to track accurately. The results will help Honeywell refine and improve the technology with hopes that in the future all firefighters will be equipped with the life-saving technology.
Phoenix is one of four cities involved in the testing so far.