Humans lose consciousness when oxygen concentration drops below 9 percent, but start losing judgment and coordination at around 17 percent, a whiff below the normal amount in breathable air of 21 percent.

In a building on fire, that means smoke can often hide unconscious or disorientated victims. To be able to spot them — and also see danger areas by gauging heat levels — rescue teams must be equipped with thermal imaging cameras, which show heat in brighter colors over darker backgrounds.

But here’s the problem: “Conventional systems require you to hold the camera, so you can look into the screen – but for firefighters to not have a free hand in a dangerous environment is not ideal,” said Graham Wilson, director at Design Reality, His UK-based company was tasked by firefighting equipment manufacturer Scott Safety to create a product that could address this specific concern.

Scott’s idea was to integrate the thermal camera into the mask all firemen already use, the respirator. It has multiple functions, but primarily it protects from particles and smoke.