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.
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.
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.
Even though the FAA recently put out a warning to not weaponize your drones, there are situations when a drone with self-igniting eggs or flame-throwers can help save lives. Check out this article by The Guardian about these ‘dragon’ drones.
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.
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.
Yesterday, the Fire Department of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, Indiana flew their DJI Matrice 210 with dual camera setup for the first time ever in heavy rain. On Twitter, they reported that: “She performed like a champ!”. Since March of this year, DJI Enterprise has increased their efforts to break into the commercial drone market and specifically the first responders. As we know, drones can help to save lives and it is good to see more first responders starting to use them.
“For the first time ever, we’re going to use our drones,”
said Chief Ralph Terrazas of the Los Angeles Fire Department at a news conference on Thursday as blasting winds turned the Californian landscape into burning hellscape. As of Friday afternoon, more than 500 structures have been destroyed and 200,000 people have been displaced by the raging fires.
