ACTIVE PCP - Pre-CommerciAl ProCuremenT of Innovative Personal ProtectiVe Equipment for First REsponders

Duarte Dias

INESC TEC is a pioneer in developing advanced health and safety frameworks designed to safeguard first responders during high-risk field operations. By prioritizing continuous, quantified occupational health assessment, the institute integrates non-invasive wearable sensors directly into emergency personnel workflows to track physical strain, environmental exposure, and cognitive overload. This intelligence transforms raw physiological data into dynamic stress and fatigue profiles, allowing incident commanders to monitor team exhaustion levels in real time. Consequently, dispatchers can optimize field resource allocation by proactively rotating units and deploying reinforcements based on actual physical limits rather than guesswork. On the frontline, this continuous monitoring fosters enhanced self-awareness among first responders, signaling critical physiological boundaries before exhaustion sets in. By embedding these health analytics into operational command software, INESC TEC provides emergency services with the decision-support tools needed for sustained, high-stakes tactical decision-making, significantly mitigating on-duty failures and protecting the long-term well-being of rescue teams. This capability aligns directly with the objectives of the ACTIVE PCP where INESC TEC expertise in translating raw biometric signals into active safety tools directly answers the project's call for advanced prototypes that undergo rigorous field-testing in real-life emergency scenarios. Through this procurement framework, INESC TEC can bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and market-ready, standardized smart PPE, enabling public procurers across Europe to systematically adopt technologies that protect frontline workers against evolving physical and environmental threats

Aug 5, 2026

Heat and Thermal Threats (e.g., fire, high temperature, steam, etc.)