Globalstar’s Spot Gen3 satellite device. Photo: Globalstar

[Via Satellite 07-17-2015] Junta de Castilla La Mancha, the administrative authority that oversees forest and wildfire management for Castilla La Mancha in central Spain, has selected Globalstar subsidiary Globalstar Europe Satellite Services to provide Spot Gen3safety devices to track and protect teams of firefighters. Wildfire solutions specialist Technosylva is supplying 250 Spot Gen3 devices to safely track forest fire and wildfire response teams and vehicles. Castilla La Mancha is a dry, often hot region where fire is a chronic issue, and approximately 2,000 response personnel are always on standby to help keep forest and wildfire at bay.

“To keep our crews safe, it is critical to track where the firefighters are at all times, in relation to the engine and equipment resources, and how far away they are from the heart of the fire. Providing these professional teams with the communications and support they need in the extremely dangerous situation of wildfire is an absolute must,” said Joaquin Ramirez Cisneros, principal consultant at Technosylva.

The new agreement with Junta de Castilla La Mancha builds on earlier uptake by other fire fighting organizations in Spain, the United States, Canada, and Chile. Spot Gen3 is a rugged, pocket-sized, low-priced personal GPS messenger that helps users stay connected by satellite beyond the reach of cellular coverage. Emergency services can use the device to track a fire fighting team’s location in near real-time, and firefighters can initiate rescues by pressing a button to transmit their location.