Patent ID: 8520700

Claim:
Apparatus for improving an ad hoc temporary incident area network by adding recording capability, comprising: an automatically configured temporary ad hoc incident area network providing communication between transceivers remote from an incident command location, said network having a number of standard non-specialized transceivers remote from said incident command location, each of said remote transceivers having a dedicated module including a separate transceiver coupled to the associated standard transceiver, said separate transceivers being set to a predetermined common frequency and format not compatible with the frequencies and formats of other transceivers on said ad hoc network, said separate transceivers automatically establishing interoperability between said remote transceivers by converting signals from the standard transceiver to which said dedicated module is coupled to said common frequency and format: a sensor within at least one module for providing situational awareness data; a recorder within each of said modules for recording data obtained at each of said modules, said at least one module collecting and recording situational awareness data from the associated sensor using said recorder; a circuit at each module for uploading recorded data over the temporary incident area network to at least one node on said network; and, storage at said node operably connected to said network for storing all the data transmitted over said network, thus to provide a complete stored history of the incident for which said ad hoc temporary incident area network is established, thereby to provide redundancy for the recording performed at each of said modules and permitting readout of said recorded data for enhancing incident response.