Task One:
Today, we have way too many fatal car fires and crashes. According to the US Fire Administration (FEMA) Reporting System, there were 236,000car fires in 2008. 365 were fatal and 1,065 left drivers and passengers with injuries. 18% of fires are car fires, and that is a lot if you are counting building fires, and wild fires. All together, vehicle fires cost Americans $1.49 billion dollars in 2008 alone. So, we came up with an idea to create a fire extinguisher located near the engine to simultaneously cover the engine and gas tank when the sensors we place in the car go off. This will cause the fire to halt before it reaches you. In school, we have monthly fire drill. We practice our procedures in case there is a fire at school. This prepares us in case there is ever a situation like that. http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/national/vehicles.shtm
Task Two:
We chose Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for our NCT. We chose this because we are making a fire extinguisher that connects to the air bag sensor. This ties in to the ITS characteristics where it discusses Emergency Management involving detecting and avoiding possible emergencies. The foam sensor will connect to the sensors we make which will cover the engine when the airbag sensor goes off. Our sensors are the same as airbag sensors, and are there to protect car accident and/or fire victims. They are meant to go off when a car has a sudden deceleration (a head-on collision). Also, the Technical Application includes sensors, which is what our project is based on.
Task Three:
In Gwinnet County, Georgia, two brothers were killed Sunday, February 21, 2010. This is one of the many crashes in this community. This fire was caused by a crash, and Police say their death was a result of the accident and the fire. The Police also say that that when they arrived, the Honda CRX was completely engulfed in flames. If our fire extinguisher would have been installed in the car, this would not have happened.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/22625069/detail.html
Task Four:
The solution for all of the car fires in Gwinnet, Georgia is to use fire fighters to put the fire out, but they could get there when it’s too late, and somebody could have already died. Our solution is to use our sensor to STOP the fire in the first place and fire fighters to just come assist the car fire victims. Also, we want a way to prevent it, and Gwinnet, Georgia just wants to put every fire out. We will be using technology to put out the rapidly growing and citizen killing fires, so no (or little) human work will be required, but in Gwinnet, Georgia fire fighters are the main fire extinguishers, and they can’t be there right when the fire starts like sensors can.
