Based on its recent analysis of the firefighter respiratory protective equipment market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Scott Safety with the 2016 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership. Scott Safety has coupled innovation with firefighter respiratory protective equipment (which has existed since the early 1990s) in an exciting new form — an in-mask thermal imaging system. The product, Scott Sight, offers critical advantages such as hands-free mobility and thermal imaging visibility that allows firefighters to easily navigate their environment, expedited search and rescue operations, and easy identification of escape routes. Rather than introduce to the market a full suite of capabilities, Scott Safety is adopting a phased innovation approach. Scott Sight requires little to no training to operate, making the end product both user-friendly and intuitive.
Scott Sight was launched in 2015, and over a one-year period, the product was fine-tuned based on firefighters’ feedback. The end result was a full-face breathing mask that incorporates a camera and in-mask display. The camera generates 160×120 resolution images at a rate of 9 frames per second. The system has a 4-hour nominal run time and various user configurations.
“The amended Scott Sight remains lightweight at 8.5 ounces, and comes equipped with an adjustable in-mask display and infinity lens,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Sanjana Prabhakar. “It integrates seamlessly with the Scott Safety AV-3000 HT facepiece, with the camera attached to the right side — since most users are right-eye dominant — and the audio equipment mounts on the left side. It provides a 50-degree field of view, which is one of the best in the market.”
Moreover, the company has successfully set the stage for further innovation; for example, it facilitates the introduction of advanced technologies similar to Microsoft HoloLens, which integrates virtual reality and augmented reality. This foresight is significant, as end users are likely to welcome novel technologies that can be seamlessly integrated into their existing breathing masks. Also, Scott Safety provides cost-effective options that accommodate evolving capabilities such as enhanced accountability features, telemetry data, evacuation alarms, radio interfaces, and enhancements to the audio equipment.
Scott Sight meets the stringent requirements of ingress protection (IP) 66 and IP 67 as well as electrical approval standards UL 913 Class 1, Division 1, and ATEX Zone 0. Finally, the product establishes a proprietary learning curve for Scott Safety, which raises the barriers to entry and offers patent protection for specific time periods.
Scott Sight is a great addition to the products offered to fire and industrial consumers worldwide. While most innovations are introduced at high price points, Scott Safety’s mission to provide “vision for every firefighter” has enabled it to produce a more affordable and, therefore, accessible product to a large end-user base.
“Until a decade ago, thermal imaging cameras were priced out of the reach of most end users and were aimed at military applications,” noted Prabhakar. “Scott Safety changed that by introducing the Scott Sight with all of the basic functionalities, such as visibility in a smoke-filled environment and hot spot location. It allows firefighters to perform with continuous, hands-free situational awareness.”
Situational awareness is a highly integral feature of Scott Sight, improving hot zone accountability and enabling communication between firefighters. Additionally, the camera and in-mask display provide just enough data so as to not overwhelm the firefighter. Scott Sight’s sleek design ensures that the in-mask display does not interfere with the firefighters’ field of vision.
Frost & Sullivan is pleased to recognize Scott Safety for staying a step ahead of the competition in the firefighter respiratory protective equipment market with its competitive strategies and innovative product design.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a competitive strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning, and customer satisfaction.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
