Since 2008, firefighters have increasingly used unmanned aerial vehicles to help fight fires. Since that time, UAVs, or drones, have increasingly become part of standard operations for many fire departments. These small, fixed-wing and rotorcraft planes go where humans cannot and provide real-time surveillance data that on-the-ground personnel otherwise could not obtain. Here are five ways that your fire department can use drones to the benefit of all.
Search and Rescue
Firefighters can use a drone at the beginning of every emergency response in which they suspect occupants are trapped inside. Because the purpose of search and rescue is to save lives, firefighters often put their own safety at risk as they make their way through burning buildings. A drone’s ability to see through smoke increases not only the probability of finding people inside a building but also the safety of rescuers by alerting them to hotspots and collapsing structures.
Technical Rescues
Emerging drone technology is gradually enhancing all six types of technical rescue. For example, radio frequencies that remote control units previously used to communicate with drones could not penetrate thick materials, making drones useless in rescues from confined spaces such as concrete wells or lead pipes. Newer models have superior transmission systems that eliminate this obstacle, and some have built-in cages to protect delicate rotors and wings from hitting walls as they navigate narrow openings.
Thermal Imaging
A drone with a thermal imaging camera may be more effective than Smokey the Bear at preventing fires. By analyzing images, fire inspectors can locate and remediate fire hazards within a building. These danger zones might include overheated fuses, frayed wires, overloaded outlets, or baseboard heaters next to flammable objects. During a fire, thermal images pinpoint hotspots to help predict where a fire might spread and to evaluate the safety of rooms before firefighters enter them.
Natural Disasters
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, vehicle access to heavily impacted areas is often limited. A drone can fly in almost immediately to conduct reconnaissance, giving up-to-date information about environmental and structural hazards as well as the number and status of survivors. They deliver emergency supplies such as water, first aid kits, automated external defibrillators, and body bags. Although outside the budget of many fire departments, certain drones even transport people.
Pre-Fire Planning
Even without thermal imaging capabilities, a drone helps owners of existing buildings and new construction prepare for fires. Officials use the pictures it takes to create digital two- and three-dimensional models of buildings. They then share this information with a fire inspector to develop efficient fire prevention and evacuation strategies. An incident commander also can use these pre-fire images to better assess changing rooftop features during an actual fire.
About Provident Fire Plus
At Provident Fire Plus, we offer custom-tailored packages to best protect firefighters and volunteer firefighters. We understand the risks that emergency response teams are subjected to on a daily basis, and have worked to serve these dedicated professionals for over 87 years. For more information about our products and policies, we invite you to contact our experts today at (855) 201-8880.