A local firefighter developed an app that's helping to save people's lives.


ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- Imagine going about your daily routine with a tiny computer screen in the corner of your eye. That's the look of the future through Google Glass.

A Triad man is taking that vision and putting it to work to save lives. The computer screen is smaller than your finger nail and sits just centimeters from your eye. You can take pictures, make calls and search the internet. They're only in the beta testing phase, but I met a local man today who got two of them and he's not wasting any time making a name for himself.

When firefighter Patrick Jackson is called into action, he reaches for his Google Glass. "When somebody calls for a fire or a medical emergency, that information goes straight to Google Glass. It gives us the address, the nature of the call and a map of where it is."

It's part of an app he created called Firefighter Log. His new Google Glass allows him to use it hands-free. "Some of the guys think it's a crazy idea, but a lot of people think it's a good idea."

The Winston-Salem native is pushing his Rocky Mount fire station into the future of technology. Patrick, who drives the ladder truck, can get turn-by-turn directions, injury reports and even find the nearest fire hydrant. A head start when seconds matter. "A lot of the times it will actually come through before they dispatch it over the radio so it may save us thirty seconds to a minute," said Jackson.

The fire station also uses his app on tablets in all of its rigs. It's an upgrade from their slower, more expensive computers of the past.

And Jackson isn't finished yet. He knows the potential of this unusual pair of glasses. "Access patient information and stream video to the emergency room before we get to the emergency room."

A piece of technology too small to capture with our TV cameras, but big enough to change the game of saving lives.

Patrick is collecting floor plans and emergency contacts to use with google glass when he responds to a call. He hopes to create a future version that will fit inside a firefighter's mask.

Rocky Mount is the only fire station using the app, but the Fayetteville Fire Department has expressed interest.