The Olds Fire Department is planning to experiment with using drones to provide a bird’s-eye view of fire scenes or other emergencies.
The University of Alberta invited the fire department to participate in a pilot project to gauge the effectiveness of using a drone as an eye in the sky in emergency scenarios.
“By utilizing visual and thermal video of the scene, drone technology will be able to quickly evaluate the extent and severity of an emergency, providing first responders with valuable information to help them determine the necessary equipment and personnel to be deployed,” says the town in a news release.
“Traditionally, emergency responders have faced challenges in rapidly assessing the scope and nature of emergencies, especially in situations where access may be limited or hazardous.”
Olds firefighters have already received training to pilot the drones, which are equipped with advanced camera systems and real-time monitoring capabilities.
Drones can be used to help firefighters quickly evaluate a situation, identify potential hazards and determine how best to respond.
All footage captured by the drone will be used solely by the University of Alberta study and is protected from any public release or unauthorized access. The drone will not be recording during its flight to or from the incident location, only while it is observing the location of the incident.
The town says residents may see or hear a drone scouting out a scene before firefighters have even arrived.
“The goal of this project is to create more efficient, effective and safer response to emergency situations in our region. This is an incredible opportunity for the Town of Olds to improve response capabilities in rural communities by working within Transport Canada’s guidance and approvals as this type of drone use is not currently authorized in Canada,” says the town.
“There are no other entities in Canada currently working with Federal regulatory bodies to change this legislation, making this a very important pilot project. If successful, this project could see changes occurring across the country in respect to drone usage during emergency responses.”