Phoenix Fire Department adds drones to its arsenal of firefighting and rescue equipment
PHOENIX (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The Phoenix Fire Department (PFD) has recently added drones to its arsenal of firefighting and rescue equipment.
At Phoenix Fire Station 61, the future of fire and rescue is taking off. A new van is a game changer for the department's growing drone unit.
"This is Drone 1. It's one of the newest additions to our fleet, and it's an upgraded investment in the Phoenix Fire Department's unmanned aerial systems program," said Fire Captain Kenny Overton with PFD.
Before the van, Captain Overton says crews had to squeeze drones, batteries and chargers into a reserved Ford F-250.
"We were making do with what we had," Overton expressed.
Now, everything is organized, and drones can get airborne in under a minute when emergencies hit, and they're staying busy.
Last year alone, the department's nine drones and 10 pilots flew 971 missions and logged 146 hours in the air.
"We respond to structure fires. We respond to mountain rescues and reports of lost hikers. We also use these for mapping," Overton shared.
Some drones have thermal cameras which can see through smoke and identify hot spots. They can also drop flotation devices, and an onboard speaker allows pilots to communicate with people being rescued. Smaller drones can be launched inside hazmat areas or unstable buildings.
"What this really is, is this is a tool to keep our firefighters safer and to give our command officers the best information possible, as quickly as possible," Overton explained.
As an NBC affiliate in Phoenix was reporting on this story, Drone 1 was dispatched to a real-life emergency: A 63-year-old woman was suffering from a heat-related emergency on Camelback Mountain.
"We launched our drone, and we were able to find the patient very quickly based on location. We radioed that information to our command, and they were able to dispatch our technical rescue teams up the mountain appropriately," Overton detailed.
The rescue lasted about an hour. The woman made it down the mountain on her own two feet, with the help of rescue teams.
"Our people are great at what they do, and this is just another tool in our toolbox to make them even more effective," Overton spoke.
Drone 1 has only been in service for a month, but it's already proving its worth. Seeing it in action makes you wonder what firefighters 100 years ago would think about this 21st century technology.
"I've been on the job for 20 years, and 20 years ago, I thought I was just going to take a hand line into a house fire and put the fire out, and now I control the drone to give information to our crews in the best way possible," Overton remarked.
