EaseAlert: Tactile Firefighter Alerting System

NCT05641194 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 22-131
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 47
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The purpose of this research is to test a commercially viable Fire Fighter Altering System (FFAS) comprised of proprietary wearables and optional bed shakers called BunkAlerts; collectively "personal alerting devices" as an alternative approach to the traditional fire alarm system used in fire stations. Participants (fire fighters) will be asked to take part in the study to investigate the impact of the new FFAS on cardiovascular response and sleep. This study includes three phases: 1) baseline, 2) implementation of EaseAlert FFAS with traditional alarm, and 3) implementation of EaseAlert FFAS without traditional alarm. Participants will be asked to wear an Actigraph wGT3x-BT and Polar H10 device to record sleep and heart rate data for 12 days at work in addition to EaseAlert FFAS device for 8 out of the 12 days at work. They will also be asked to complete a questionnaire and complete daily journal entries.

Conditions

Heart Rate; Sleep Habit; Sleep

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Heart Rate (mean)

  Heart Rate will be measured with Polar H10 Heart Rate Chest Strap Monitor connected via Bluetooth to wGT3X-BT Actigraphy device. Change from baseline Heart Rate to post interventions

  Change from baseline Heart Rate to post interventions (6 days from baseline). Outcome will be assessed over 1 day per intervention.

• Heart Rate (max)

  Heart Rate will be measured with Polar H10 Heart Rate Chest Strap Monitor connected via Bluetooth to wGT3X-BT Actigraphy device. Change from baseline Heart Rate to post interventions. Max HR will factor subjects' age.

  Change from baseline Heart Rate to post interventions (6 days from baseline). Outcome will be assessed over 1 day per intervention.

• Sleep Efficiency

  Sleep Efficiency will be measures by wrist actigraphy (device: wGT3X-BT). Actilife 6.0 (issued by ActiGraph Co.) will be used to analyze actigraphy data. Sleep Efficiency is calculated by dividing (total sleep time by total time in bed) X 100. Change from baseline sleep efficiency to post interventions.

  Change from baseline to post interventions (6 days from baseline). Outcome will be assessed over 1 day per intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Satisfaction with EaseAlert during Night

  Change from baseline night satisfaction to post interventions (6 days from baseline). Outcome will be assessed over 1 day per intervention.

• Satisfaction with EaseAlert during Day

  Change from baseline day satisfaction to post interventions (6 days from baseline). Outcome will be assessed over 1 day per intervention.

• Pre-bed anxiety/stress

  Change from baseline pre-bed anxiety/stress to post interventions (6 days from baseline). Outcome will be assessed over 1 day per intervention.

Study Arms (1)

Single arm - intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Device: Legacy Alerting System; Device: Intervention 2: EaseAlert Standalone

Interventions

Legacy Alerting System DEVICE

Description: Standard alerting system in place at the fire station.

Single arm - intervention

Intervention 2: EaseAlert Standalone DEVICE

Description: EaseAlert will activate and alert the subject of an emergency call without the legacy alerting system. EaseAlert (standalone) replaces the legacy alerting system.

Single arm - intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Firefighters must be willing participants be over the age of 18 years
• Have worked at their department for a minimum of two months (career department only) so that circadian rhythm is adjusted to the schedule
• No extended absence or shift trading among the firefighters foreseen during the trial.
• Nighttime call/run volume averaging at least one emergency call
• Interest among the crew members to participate in the trial
• Willingness to participate by department's chief and/or his/her designee
• No past experience with the EaseAlert FFAS
• Four or more firehouses/stations
• Willingness to identify a departmental point of contact for collaboration with the research team
• Interest among crews to test the new alert system.

You may not qualify if:

• non firefighter

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: lead
• National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Central Jackson County Fire District

Blue Springs, Missouri, 64015, United States

Location

Stillwater Fire Department

Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74074, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Joel M Billings, Ph.D.

  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: 1. Legacy Alerting System Description: Standard alerting system in place at the fire station. 2. Intervention 2: EaseAlert Standalone Description: EaseAlert will activate and alert the subject of an emergency call without the legacy alerting system. EaseAlert (standalone) replaces the legacy alerting system.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 28, 2022
• First Posted: December 7, 2022
• Study Start: August 26, 2023
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2024
• Study Completion: January 31, 2025
• Last Updated: March 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)