Signal 2: Drones save lives in fires
In May 2017, a huge explosion suddenly occurred in the warehouse at the Karahan Tire Factory in Florida. In 10 minutes, the entire building was engulfed by flames. And then 4,000 tires next to the building also caught fire. Even worse, the fire spread quickly with the help of the wind, and the burning of the tires caused several miles of black smoke. After the South Manati fire brigade arrived, the fire had quickly escalated from a third-grade fire to a fifth-grade fire. The fire brigade dispatched drones to investigate the scene. They have to be cautious because the tires are likely to reignite, and the chemicals in the tires may enter the water, contaminating the rainwater system and causing secondary disasters. With the help of drones, firemen accurately diagnosed that the plume is developing in a nearby school and they successfully contacted the school and closed the doors and windows to ensure the safety of teachers and students in a few minutes. In 2015, 1.34 million fires occurred in the United States, killing 3,280 people and resulting in a total loss of $14.3 billion. Drones can be a key to retrieve incalculable losses.
Drone technology will change the pattern that the fire departments respond to disasters. As far as I am concerned, the fire departments should popularize drones. They can use drones to monitor and forewarn sensitive areas. In case of a fire, firefighters can use the drones carrying detection equipment to get an overall inspect of the disaster in time and take the lead in assessing and judging the crisis before entering the unknown disaster area themselves: for example, to observe whether there are explosives or toxic chemicals and judge the pollution of harmful substances to the surrounding environment; continuously to observe the visible light and thermal imaging changes of plumes, measure the fire structure and evaluate the development trend. They can accurately formulate rescue measures and remind surrounding residents to hedge in safe places. In addition, firemen can use the drones to air-drop tools in the designated area so that they can use it immediately after entering the fire scene.
It takes hours to search and rescue with traditional methods but only a few minutes are needed for drones to find the survivors. Because of limited oxygen supply, the firefighters need to travel to and from the disaster area and the station many times. These traditional methods not only waste precious time but also threatens the life safety of the firemen. The drones protect the safety of firefighters and also strives for more opportunity for the victims. At the same time, drones will greatly improve efficiency and reduce costs: the entire rescue operation can be shortened by 1–2 hours, greatly improving the efficiency of the fire brigade and work that previously required large aircraft can now be handed over to drones.
Inspiration and background: https://enterprise.dji.com/news/detail/smfr-embracing-new-drone-technology-for-hazmat-response
