New AI-Powered System Helps Emergency Responders Assess Escape Route Safety During Wildfires
When wildfires force evacuations, knowing an escape route exists may not be enough. A Kelowna, British Columbia-based technology company is working to help emergency responders better understand the condition of secondary roads that could become critical escape routes in a disaster.
The Problem with Back Roads
What happens when the road intended to keep people safe is full of potholes, loose rock, washouts, or unsuitable for the vehicle they are driving? That’s the question Kelowna entrepreneur Ryan Gallagher has been trying to answer since the 2023 wildfire season.
Introducing Back Road Intel
That experience led Gallagher to develop Back Road Intel, a system that uses sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor back roads and escape routes. The technology collects information about road surfaces, hazards, and road deterioration. This data is then analyzed by AI and made available to emergency responders to help them better understand which routes might be viable in an emergency.
The survey tool is attached to a truck trailer hitch and connects wirelessly to a smartphone. On a recent drive along Chute Lake Road, one of several secondary roads in the Central Okanagan, Gallagher pointed out how quickly conditions can change.
“I was here a week ago, but it wasn’t that bad,” said Gallagher. Further up the road, the conditions became noticeably rougher.
Matching Roads to Vehicles
But Gallagher says the question isn’t just whether a road is open. A route suitable for a four-wheel drive truck may not be suitable for a family sedan carrying children, pets, and emergency supplies.
“Look around here. Imagine a mother and her children trying to cope,” Gallagher said. “That’s really why I want to find out.”
The goal is to help emergency planners not only understand which roads are available, but also which vehicles they can safely use.
“When it comes to evacuations, the last thing you want is a flat tire or broken axle,” explains Gallagher. “If you can’t get over those bumps, you’re probably going to have a problem, and that’s a huge problem because you can block anyone behind you.”
Expanding Across British Columbia
The company has already begun working with communities across British Columbia, including regional districts, municipalities, and First Nations. Surveying utility roads across BC is a data-intensive task, but AI makes the process much easier.
The hope is that better information will help emergency responders make better decisions before the next disaster strikes. For Gallagher, that’s what the technology is really about: ensuring people aren’t forced to drive into the unknown as they try to escape danger.
