Thanks to a bright and innovative Evanston Fire Explorer and former ETHS student, Evanston firefighters will now have much quicker and more efficient access to vital emergency documents and protocols which can enhance their decision-making.
Oliver Leopold, who graduated early from Evanston Township High School last month, developed a cloud-based software application that firefighters and incident commanders can use on the emergency scene to access critical information such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and technical rescue procedures.
Mr. Leopold began developing the application, now called “PrimarySearch”, in 2019, and he is currently conducting “beta” testing of the software over the next six months with Evanston firefighters to gather their feedback and identify possible improvement areas. After the test, he intends to make the application available to fire departments, public service agencies, and EMS systems across the United States.
Oliver says, “PrimarySearch uniquely combines my interest in the fire service with my interest in computer science and engineering. I am hopeful that this seemingly simple app will be able to make life easier for first responders in the field.”
Evanston Fire Department staff say they are “extremely proud” of Mr. Leopold’s work and are looking forward to working with and helping improve such a promising emergency scene information tool.
Mr. Leopold plans to attend college in the fall and, since he recently obtained his Emergency Medical Technician license, hopes to be working in a local hospital emergency room as an EMT until classes begin.