Phineas Laboratory has developed FireSight, a patented throwable mmWave radar device that enables firefighters and first responders to locate live victims through smoke, walls, and hazardous environments in seconds. Unlike thermal cameras that degrade in smoke, FireSight uses mmWave radar to detect micro-movements such as chest rise and fall, locating conscious or unconscious victims within 15 seconds at a fraction of the cost of existing solutions. Founded by a medically retired USAF acquisitions officer with deep technical and combat experience, the company targets the fire rescue, law enforcement, and defense sectors with a single platform. FireSight is priced at $5K–$7.5K per unit (vs. $30K–$100K+ for handheld radar alternatives) and is designed for deployment into areas too dangerous to enter, supporting a market opportunity estimated at $30B by 2030 across fire safety, through-wall radar, and counter-UAS markets.
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Justin Tullos
founder
Firefighters still search rooms on hands and knees using tactics unchanged since 1975, while modern furnishings burn faster and more toxically. Thermal and optical cameras degrade in smoke, meaning it takes 3–4 minutes to manually sweep a room — but victims may have less than 2 minutes to survive.
FireSight is a throwable, fire-resistant (up to 1600°F) mmWave radar unit that penetrates smoke and drywall to detect micro-movements and locate live victims in under 15 seconds. Multiple units can be thrown into a building simultaneously, enabling faster clearance with fewer firefighters and without requiring an officer to stand at the wall.
Live demos have been requested by fire and law enforcement departments, NDAs and active discussions are underway, two electronic prototypes have been contracted and built with an SBA loan, and the company completed the PenFed Veteran Entrepreneur Program accelerator. Near-term pipeline includes meetings with SoCal and Seattle fire chiefs, with an estimated pipeline of 50–82 departments and 250–410 units representing ~$1.9M/yr in potential revenue.