Search and Rescue · Project

Smart Platform Helps First Responders Find Trapped Victims Faster After Disasters

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When a building collapses — from an earthquake, explosion, or attack — rescuers have precious little time to find survivors buried in rubble. Right now, they rely on a patchwork of tools that don't talk to each other well. This project built an integrated tech platform that combines victim detection sensors, wearable safety gear for rescuers, and a decision-support system that shows commanders exactly where people are trapped and what resources are deployed. Think of it as a mission control dashboard for disaster response, with smart uniforms that monitor rescuer health in real time.

By the numbers

EUR 7,890,585

EU contribution for R&D

consortium partners

countries in the consortium

total deliverables produced

demo deliverables with working prototypes

industry partners in consortium

SMEs involved

The business problem

What needed solving

When buildings collapse from earthquakes, explosions, or attacks, first responders face a chaotic situation with fragmented tools, no unified picture of where victims are trapped, and limited visibility into their own team's safety. The 'domino effect' — where one disaster triggers secondary hazards like chemical spills or fires — makes coordination even harder. Emergency services and infrastructure operators need an integrated system that detects victims quickly, monitors rescuer health, and gives commanders a real-time operational picture.

The solution

What was built

The project built an integrated search-and-rescue platform (delivered in 2 versions), decision-support systems for situational awareness (SOT DSS) and rescuer physiological monitoring (PHYSIO DSS) — both iterated to V2, prototype smart uniforms for first responders, a first aid device designed for children, and a web-based aftermath knowledge tool for capturing lessons learned. In total, 73 deliverables were produced including 9 demonstrated prototypes.

Audience

Who needs this

National civil protection agencies and emergency management authoritiesSearch-and-rescue equipment manufacturers looking for integrated platform standardsProtective clothing companies wanting to add smart physiological monitoringAirport and critical infrastructure operators needing disaster preparedness solutionsMunicipal fire departments and urban search-and-rescue teams

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Emergency Response Equipment

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of search-and-rescue technology and detection equipment

If you are a rescue equipment manufacturer struggling to integrate your sensors and devices into a unified system — this project developed an open architecture platform (tested across 2 versions) that connects detection tools, wearables, and decision-support systems into one interoperable package. With 30 partners across 12 countries validating the design, you get a proven integration standard rather than building one from scratch.

Protective Clothing and Wearables

SME

Target: Companies producing protective gear and smart textiles for emergency workers

If you are a protective equipment company looking to add smart monitoring to your product line — this project developed a first responder prototype uniform with built-in physiological monitoring (PHYSIO DSS component, iterated to V2). The wearable tracks rescuer safety in real time during operations. With 6 SMEs in the consortium already involved, the technology is designed for industrial production.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

enterprise

Target: Operators of airports, industrial plants, and public venues needing emergency preparedness

If you manage critical infrastructure like airports or chemical plants and worry about the 'domino effect' where one disaster triggers others — this project built a decision-support system (SOT DSS, iterated to V2) that monitors dynamic changes during an event and tracks deployed resources. The web-based aftermath knowledge tool helps you capture lessons learned and improve response plans after each incident.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this platform?

The project had a total EU contribution of EUR 7,890,585 across 30 partners over 3 years. Licensing or procurement costs for commercial users are not specified in the project data. Contact the consortium to discuss pricing for the integrated platform or individual components like the DSS modules.

Can this scale to national or cross-border deployment?

The platform was designed as a modular open architecture specifically so it can incorporate future solutions and scale across organizations. The consortium spans 12 countries, and the system was tested with large-scale pilot scenarios. The architecture supports unified cross-border coordination by design.

What is the IP situation — can we license specific components?

As an EU-funded RIA project, IP is typically owned by the partners who created each component. The consortium includes 10 industry partners and 6 SMEs who may be open to licensing. The coordinator is the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) — they can direct you to the right IP holder for specific modules.

How does this integrate with our existing emergency management systems?

The platform was built on a 'highly interoperable, modular open architecture' that allows easy incorporation of next-generation and commercial off-the-shelf solutions. It builds on two prior FP7 projects (COncORDE and IMPRESS), so it is designed to work alongside existing infrastructure rather than replace it entirely.

What was actually tested and validated?

The project produced 9 demo deliverables and 73 total deliverables including an integrated S&R platform (2 versions), DSS components for situational awareness (SOT DSS, V2) and rescuer physiology monitoring (PHYSIO DSS, V2), prototype first responder uniforms, a first aid device for children, and a web-based aftermath knowledge tool. Large-scale pilot testing was part of the project plan.

Is this compliant with EU civil protection regulations?

The project was funded under the EU's Secure Societies programme (topic SU-DRS02) specifically addressing technologies for first responders. Based on available project data, the governance model was designed to support a unified EU vision and provide a common assessment and response integration approach. Specific regulatory certifications are not detailed in the data.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a large, well-funded consortium of 30 partners across 12 European countries with a strong industry presence — 10 industry partners (33% of the group) including 6 SMEs. The coordinator is the National Technical University of Athens, a leading engineering institution in Greece. The mix of 8 universities and 5 research organizations provides the scientific backbone, while the industry partners ensure the technology is grounded in real operational needs. The geographic spread across Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Romania means the platform was designed to work across very different national emergency response systems — a strong signal for cross-border interoperability.

ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNIONCoordinator · EL
UNIVERSITEIT HASSELTparticipant · BE
ELLINIKI OMADA DIASOSIS SOMATEIOparticipant · EL
FUNDACION PARA LA INVESTIGACION E INNOVACION BIOSANITARIA DE ATENCION PRIMARIAthirdparty · ES
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISparticipant · EL
GIOUMPITEK MELETI SCHEDIASMOS YLOPOIISI KAI POLISI ERGON PLIROFORIKIS ETAIREIA PERIORISMENIS EFTHYNISparticipant · EL
SYNYO GmbHparticipant · AT
THALES ITALIA SPAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZEparticipant · IT
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSELparticipant · BE
SOFTWARE IMAGINATION AND VISION SRLparticipant · RO
AIDEAS OUparticipant · EE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CAGLIARIparticipant · IT
JOHANNITER OSTERREICH AUSBILDUNG UND FORSCHUNG GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBHparticipant · AT
SERVICIO MADRILENO DE SALUDparticipant · ES
DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUR KUNSTLICHE INTELLIGENZ GMBHparticipant · DE
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
ESCUELA ESPANOLA DE SALVAMENTO Y DETECCION CON PERROSparticipant · ES
HITACHI RAIL GTS ITALIA SRLparticipant · IT
MAGGIOLI SPAparticipant · IT
POMPIERS DE L'URGENCE INTERNATIONALEparticipant · FR
JOHANNITER-UNFALL-HILFE EVparticipant · DE
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATION EUROPE FORUM AISBLparticipant · BE
ATOS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES IBERIA SLparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUOREparticipant · IT
KONNEKT ABLE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDparticipant · IE

How to reach the team

The coordinator is the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right team member for your specific interest area.

Order a report on this consortium See ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNION profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the S&R platform, DSS components, or smart wearable technology for your organization? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the consortium partners who built the specific module you need. Contact us for a tailored introduction.

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