Drones, or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are an emerging topic of interest for the United States fire service. This technology not only has the ability to capture incredible views of fire scenes from otherwise-unattainable vantage points, but also the capacity to provide unique incident intelligence that can aid firefighting efforts while firefighters are working.
Yet there are still some unanswered questions about how UAS might impact fire suppression operations. While there have been many reports of drones assisting in operations or rescue situations, there have also been reports of some crews reacting with hostility to private drone operators filming scenes and even of wildland aircraft operations being temporarily disrupted by the presence of UAS.
In the above-linked PowerPoint presentation, UAS consultant Mike Clemens offers some glimpses of the potential uses for UAS in fire and emergency scenarios.
VIEW THE POWERPOINT SLIDES >>
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