Fire fighters

Drone training company DARTdrones has partnered with Adorama Business Solutions to give away a DJI Mavic Air 2 to a lucky agency and $100K in free or reduced-cost drone training to public safety agencies.

A drone equipped with a thermal sensor helped firefighters in Florida determine where the flames were, even though they were not visible. It was the first time the crew had used the drone in this particular kind of situation.

In Victoria, Australia, firefighters have welcomed a new aviation drone unit that will support fire fighting efforts on the ground. The newly announced unit will use DJI drones to improve situational awareness and search and rescue efforts.

A woman that has chosen to stay anonymous has given the Putnam and East Putnam fire departments in Connecticut $4500 to spend on drone technology. The woman’s generous gift allowed the fire departments to purchase brand new thermal drones.

An illegal drone has grounded aerial firefighting efforts at the Cameron Peak Fire over in Colorado, resulting in authorities sending out an urgent warning message.

The British government has set aside £33 million (~$43 million) in funding to be spent on firefighting and COVID delivery drones as a part of a ground-breaking aviation project to solve major global challenges. So far, 20 winning ideas have been funded by the UK government.

Tethered drone maker Fotokite has partnered with French Desautel Group to aid firefighters on the front line with a set of eyes in the sky. The Fotokite drone will be directly integrated into future fire trucks with the ability to add it to current ones as well.

West Haven, Connecticut’s fire department will receive a new Autel EVO 2 drone, thanks to the National Public Safety Drone Donation Program (NPS-DDP) and PropelUAS. The fire department will receive a new Autel EVO 2 drone, which will be delivered in person.

On Saturday, a drone was spotted flying in the restricted airspace above the Red Salmon Fire in California, slowing firefighting efforts. The incident marks the 21st time a drone has flown into firefighting airspace this year alone in the U.S.

According to a graphic released by the National Interagency Fire Center, known drone incursions into firefighting airspace are on the decline. Despite more drones being in the air than ever before, people seem to be better educated.

The Norwich Fire Department in Connecticut has begun using a drone to get a set of eyes in the sky when firefighting and responding to accidents. The volunteer fire department got its latest piece of high tech equipment today, thanks to the National Public Safety Drone Donation Program (NPS-DDP).

Scottsdale Fire Department in Arizona has begun to use drones in its day-to-day operations to improve the safety of firefighters. The drones allow firefighters to get an aerial view over fires and crash scenes to better understand them.

Earlier this week, Queensland’s fire and emergency services reminded drone pilots to stay away from an active wildfire in Kooralbyn, Queensland. The agency took to social media to spread the message as best it can.

Firefighters on the frontline of the Poeville Fire in Nevada were forced to halt important aerial operations for about an hour after two rogue drones were spotted flying near the fire.

Firefighters were called to a sinking boat at Glasson Dock Marina in Lancaster, UK early on June 23rd with the job of containing its leaking fuel. The firefighters along with a hazmat unit, boat unit, and aerial unit all worked to limit the environmental impact.

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A drone with a thermal camera was used by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) to direct fire crews to the hottest areas of a burning ship to help maintain its structural integrity. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department posted the images on its Twitter account.

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High-rises present a special challenge to firefighters, whose ladders only reach about 100 feet. With the expansion of cities around the world, those challenges are growing. Chinese firefighters recently demonstrated a possible solution: using drones to lift firehoses into the air.

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On the 23rd of January, reports came in of a C-130 Hercules water tanker disappearing from radar while supporting firefighters on the ground in the Australian bushfires. Fire crews on the ground later shared information of a plane going down, resulting in a fireball.

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Firefighters were forced to halt their fire fighting efforts due to a rogue drone flying above and around the Alaskan fire. Both the FAA and the local fire department have taken to social media to share their frustrations and concerns with rogue drones around fires.

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After having used the DJI Matrice 210 for the first time in a training session earlier in the morning, the Halifax firefighters successfully used the unmanned aircraft in a search-and-rescue later that same day. On a dark and cold night in December the firefighters decided to send their new drone up one more time in their search for a missing person. The search had officially been called off, but the firefighters went ahead anyway. This time they used a different angle with their thermal camera and they found the semi-conscious man under a bridge. The man was picked up and rushed to the hospital. It was a turning point for the firefighters and they realized drones are much more than just a toy.

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