The Bellevue Fire Department’s latest tool is a Draganflyer VTOL UAS, equipped with cameras that transmit photos and video to firefighters and rescue personnel, and it’s expected to be useful managing incidents involving hazardous materials.
The device was purchased from Draganfly Innovations Inc. with a $25,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Bellevue Battalion Chief Kurt Strachota said that the UAS will perform hazardous work that previously could be performed only by firefighters.
“Say a truck tipped over on the highway and something unknown is oozing out the back,” he said. “Previously we would have dressed someone up in full protective gear and he would have walked right up to the accident to assess the situation.”
The UAS removes the need to put a firefighter in such danger, Strachota said.
The helicopterlike device can be flown by remote control over the accident site and hover over the scene while it relays footage to firefighters, who can then analyze the images to determine what they are facing.
Strachota said the aircraft is not yet in use; a training seminar with its makers is to be scheduled.
Photo: Bellevue Fire Department Battalion Chief Kurt Strachota with Draganflyer
Source: Omaha.com