The San Bernardino County Fire Department has launched a pilot program making drones the first responders for “unknown type” fire calls.
In the last three months of 2024, San Bernardino recorded 833 “unknown type” fire calls. The vast majority of which turned out to be false alarms, minor warming fires, cooking fires, or trash burning, most of which did not require any action from firefighters.
Now, the first response to those calls in one city neighborhood comes from the rooftop of a 12-story building downtown. Traveling at 50 miles per hour directly to the scene, the drones are capable of reaching reported fires long before fire trucks could arrive, KCAL reports.
According to Public Information Officer Eric Sherwin, the goal of the program is to have firefighters assess the call via video and respond as needed. The drones can make a recorded announcement in cases where no physical response is needed, to remind people to be cautious, for instance.
In cases where a real fire is observed, the video feed will give firefighters more early information to better respond. If the test is successful, the department would plan to roll out drones at strategic locations to respond autonomously to fire calls.
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