Coweta County firefighters using thermal drones to help battle fires
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Drones have become more commonplace at fire scenes as a way to help battle fires and protect lives. The Coweta County Fire Rescue is using them in a variety of ways.
Drone video shows aerial view of widespread brush fire in Coweta County.
The photo above is from drone video provided by Coweta County Fire Rescue of a recent brush fire that threatened nearby homes. This view gave firefighters an overview of the entire scene, and how far it was spread out.
"Anytime you can see something from overhead, you can get a better picture of how things are organized and how things are progressing," said Coweta Fire Rescue Chief Mark Griffin-Battalion.
Thermal camera view taken by a drone of the same brush fire in Coweta County.
The photo above is another drone view of the same fire with a thermal camera. Perhaps an even more important perspective…the camera can help firefighters pinpoint hot spots and perhaps give them an upperhand in the battling the blaze.
"You can actually see if a roof is hot in a particular area, or if it isventing out smoke through a particular area," Griffin said.
Thermal imagery can also locate missing people, even at night.
Coweta firefighters are part of a much bigger county team called the Coweta County Drone Response Team. They can fly missions for other county departments, including sheriff's department SWAT calls.
"So we all train together to be able to fly together," said Nic Burgess with Coweta County Emergency Management. "So, whatever the mission calls for, so a pilot could fly that with the drone associated with that."
The county currently has 13 pilots and 12 drones.
The photo above is an example of a drone used to fly inside houses during a SWAT call. In the video player at the top of this story, you can watch as the drone flies through the window of a pickup, take a look around and fly right back out. It can upright itself if knocked over, or it can fly into things and usually bounce off.
"They fly a variety of missions, everything from a building fire, structure fire to missing person, bush bond, missing subject, whatever we may need, we have the ability to put a drone in the air for it," Burgess said.
They say the county has bought most of the drones, but some of them have been purchased by the community to help first responders use this important technology to stay safe and save lives.