ANN ARBOR – When a fire or other emergency occurs, those rushing to respond want to know where their team members are at all times. ERT Systems LLC has developed a product that does exactly that, with the help of the Michigan Small Business Development Center.

ERT Systems has created Onsite ERT, a portable and rapidly deployable system for tracking and monitoring personnel and equipment at emergency events.

The Ann Arbor-based company uses a combination of lightweight ID tags, portable drop readers and incident command software to provide a clear picture of the emergency scene in real time �?? from the screen of a laptop.

The concept for ERT Systems came after Dennis Carmichael, owner of a software company that sold inventory tracking systems to manufacturers, met John Ellis, a retired Fire Chief, at a conference where Carmichael was speaking on using technology to keep track of inventory.

“John approached me and asked me if I could keep track of stuff, could I also keep track of people,” Carmichael said. Ellis was seeking a technology to replace traditional, less reliable techniques to determine crew status during fires. Together, they launched ERT Systems LLC in 2005 to help improve safety and efficiency for firefighters and other on-scene responders. “We spent nearly two years developing a prototype that would be rugged, automatic, simple to use and would not get in their way,” said Carmichael.

The resultant product combines Carmichael’s software expertise with Ellis’ understanding of firefighting and simplifies the tracking of personnel. They called the system Onsite ERT, which stands for Emergency Resource Tracking. It’s comprised of lunchbox-sized wireless tracking units that can be set down around the scene of a fire to create electronic zones. When emergency responders wearing radio frequency identification tags inserted in coats or jackets enter or leave those zones, the information is automatically sent to a central computer monitored by the incident commander.

“The technology senses where the tag wearer is located within a zone and can alert a commander if the firefighter has stopped moving �?? a possible indication that the person needs help,” Carmichael says. ERT’s competitive advantage is that it doesn’t require any direct actions or behavior change by the responders which add work and are sometimes neglected. It allows them to do what they need to do �?? fight fires. According to Carmichael, the system can also be used to fight the wildfires that plague the western part of the country.

Carmichael approached the Michigan Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC) for help even before he and Ellis had their first prototype.

“We were two guys with an idea and the SBTDC helped us make our dream a reality. They helped us draft and develop our business plan and investor presentations which were instrumental in achieving our seed funding. They helped us build relationships with service providers that resulted in more favorable rates for start-up companies like ours. They have made personal introductions to influential local leaders which have lead to product design advances, networking with potential customers and investors and in one case, an addition to our management team,” Carmichael relates. With the SBTDC’s help, ERT Systems has raised more than $250,000 in seed capital, including a match from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund. Carmichael credits the SBTDC with helping ERT achieve its goals ahead of schedule and continues to rely on the network for advice and counsel.

The company made its first commercial sale in late 2007 and now has installations in 16 fire departments throughout the country and Canada. The company has also just released a new feature, ERT Central, which allows departments to share roster and credential data automatically and gives commanders in the field a way to immediately identify personnel and equipment arriving from other departments.

According to tech counselor, Phil Tepley, who has worked with ERT since its inception, “This is a company with tremendous potential. ERT’s customers are very impressed with the Onsite ERT system. It will help fight fires more efficiently while saving lives at the same time.”

“Firefighters are our best sales people. They understand accountability and they don’t want any harm to come to their colleagues. When they find something that works, they want to share it with others. It’s a great satisfaction to know you�??ve created something that helped someone go home at night that might otherwise not have,” said Carmichael.

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