Drones That Fights Fire
Drones aren’t just war machines nor just a camera for cinematography. They have been used throughout the world for many life-saving activities. One of such major role drone can play is in firefighting as demonstrated by Parisian firefighters in controlling the Notre Dame Fire. They used commercial drones to track the progression of the fire and to find the best positions to aim fire hoses. These vital pieces of information about ongoing fires, helped them to focus their resources and efforts to the most required zone and also keep them from harm’s way while saving lives.
As far as the sources claim thermal cameras weren’t used by the firefighters. Thermal cameras would have played a vital role allowing the firefighters to see through smoke and fire.
Here’s how firefighters can use drone technology in their operations:
1. Risk Assessment
Overhead view of the scene of the fire using thermal drones provides firefighters real-time information about how fire is spreading and which areas might get engulfed in flames. In case of a building, a drone helps to find the best exit and entry point. A structural assessment via drone allows the firefighters to assess the building on the verge of collapsing and find a safe passage.
2. Detect Hot spots and active zones
Drone not only allow them to detect invisible hotspot and avoid them but also provide key information on how to control the flames but using their resources more effectively.
3. Search and Rescue beyond the flames.
Using thermal cameras, firefighters can detect people who might be trapped inside building in fire and smoke. Thus they can focus their efforts on saving them.
4. Situational Awareness and Effective Planning
Situational awareness is key during emergencies, and half the battle is knowing what you’re walking into. Using drone we can generate an orthomosaic map of the area which can allow them to determine entry and exit point and keep them away from potentially dangerous spots.
5. Active Monitoring
The real-time information can be used to actively monitor not just the fire but also their ground crews. This can be very crucial in a larger area and provide more reliable data to the command center.
6. Active Disaster Response
Fire isn’t the only disaster firefighters fight. UAV can be used in case of other disaster scenarios as well. The real-time information help emergency managers understand the magnitude of the disaster and take effective decision to utilize their resources.
7. Post Fire/Disaster Assessment and Forensic Investigation
The collected photos, videos, and maps can be later used to investigate the origination of the fire. These maps can serve as a record of the post-fire scene so that even if the scene changes over time there is still a complete image that can be used to investigate what might have caused the fire, and how it burned while it was active.
8. Fight Fire alongside the Fire Fighters
A remotely piloted drone fitted with a water hose from a fire truck can allow firefighters to reach difficult places and control fire more effectively.
9. Drone Data for Better Training
The aerial video footage and images captured while a fire is burning can be crucial in after-action assessments. These can allow firefighters to critique their own efforts so that they can improve their approach and identify future training needs.
10. Emergency Delivery during a fire
You might never know what you might need in case of emergencies. Drones can allow such emergency deliveries. These might include Automated External Defibrillators (or AEDs), BodyBags, Ropes, etc.
Special Provisions should be provided for such firefighting drones.
- Many areas are geo-fenced, which might restrict the total capability of those drones.
- A Certificate of Authorization (COA) in such space could be provided to public safety agencies to operate under such situation and jurisdiction.
- Proper technical training of firefighters should be provided to operate a drone and make a proper inference from the data.
With the photo, maps and data a drone can provide, firefighters can effectively fight the fire, save lives and keep them from harm's way.
Here’s how firefighters can use drone technology in their operations:
1. Risk Assessment
Overhead view of the scene of the fire using thermal drones provides firefighters real-time information about how fire is spreading and which areas might get engulfed in flames. In case of a building, a drone helps to find the best exit and entry point. A structural assessment via drone allows the firefighters to assess the building on the verge of collapsing and find a safe passage.
2. Detect Hot spots and active zones
Drone not only allow them to detect invisible hotspot and avoid them but also provide key information on how to control the flames but using their resources more effectively.
3. Search and Rescue beyond the flames.
Using thermal cameras, firefighters can detect people who might be trapped inside building in fire and smoke. Thus they can focus their efforts on saving them.
4. Situational Awareness and Effective Planning
Situational awareness is key during emergencies, and half the battle is knowing what you’re walking into. Using drone we can generate an orthomosaic map of the area which can allow them to determine entry and exit point and keep them away from potentially dangerous spots.
5. Active Monitoring
The real-time information can be used to actively monitor not just the fire but also their ground crews. This can be very crucial in a larger area and provide more reliable data to the command center.
6. Active Disaster Response
Fire isn’t the only disaster firefighters fight. UAV can be used in case of other disaster scenarios as well. The real-time information help emergency managers understand the magnitude of the disaster and take effective decision to utilize their resources.
7. Post Fire/Disaster Assessment and Forensic Investigation
The collected photos, videos, and maps can be later used to investigate the origination of the fire. These maps can serve as a record of the post-fire scene so that even if the scene changes over time there is still a complete image that can be used to investigate what might have caused the fire, and how it burned while it was active.
8. Fight Fire alongside the Fire Fighters
A remotely piloted drone fitted with a water hose from a fire truck can allow firefighters to reach difficult places and control fire more effectively.
9. Drone Data for Better Training
The aerial video footage and images captured while a fire is burning can be crucial in after-action assessments. These can allow firefighters to critique their own efforts so that they can improve their approach and identify future training needs.
10. Emergency Delivery during a fire
You might never know what you might need in case of emergencies. Drones can allow such emergency deliveries. These might include Automated External Defibrillators (or AEDs), BodyBags, Ropes, etc.
Special Provisions should be provided for such firefighting drones.
- Many areas are geo-fenced, which might restrict the total capability of those drones.
- A Certificate of Authorization (COA) in such space could be provided to public safety agencies to operate under such situation and jurisdiction.
- Proper technical training of firefighters should be provided to operate a drone and make a proper inference from the data.
With the photo, maps and data a drone can provide, firefighters can effectively fight the fire, save lives and keep them from harm's way.
