With the Trump administration prohibiting the use of drones in the US, what benefits and aid is the fire industry missing out on when tackling the raging wildfires across California As wildfires continue to grow in size and frequency, more resources are needed to keep them in check, particularly across America. The Trump Administration Directive has supposedly been halting the purchase of new drones jeopardising the rise of cutting-edge technology, curtailing the ability to manage wildfires and potentially putting more lives in danger.  As global warming becomes the biggest threat to the world and mankind, freak weather and extreme heat has been plaguing the world over the past year. The Australian wildfires, which wiped out infrastructure, billions of animals and thousands of homes, and took over the country causing mass evacuations and struggles from firefighters, proved to the world the dangers of dry heat and uncontrolled wildfires. The California wildfires are no exception as firefighters continue to battle and attempt to contain the fires every day. Fire departments and governments must look to new technologies to aid them in the challenge, not only innovations in pumps, trucks and suppression equipment, but also in drone technology.  In October 2019, the US Department of the Interior grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones and put a freeze on buying new ones due to concerns of Chinese spying. Many of the devices were used in wildfire fighting and prevention, including starting prescribed burns, a key tool in controlling wildfire. The Interior Department carries out more than 10,000 drone flights a year on average, according to federal documents. This year, a shortage of drones has made it more difficult to contain fires raging across the western United States.  “We spent four years building out our program and then overnight the grounding of Chinese drones put our orders on hold,” said Simon Weibel, a sales representative at Drone Amplified. “It has set the program back substantially, just as the technology was starting to get traction.” Because of that shortage, the department will have done 28% less controlled burning in 2020 than it would have, had it purchased the new devices as planned by the end of the year. The lack of knowledge regarding the possibilities of efficiency that drones offer is attributed to the recent ban. Drone technology appears to be the most recent sector and technology to have been damaged in the trade war between US and China, with President Trump’s latest threats being against the social platform TikTok.  Chris Anderson, CEO and Founder of 3DR, who previously supplied drones for the majority of flights carried out by the Interior Department stated, “Drones have gotten caught up in the cold war between the US and China, and it’s unfortunate.” Drone technology A common perception when someone hears about drones is of a quadcopter which is flying around on a stealth mission. Often people don’t realise that these could also be life savers. Drones have made it possible for civilians, emergency response personnel and military forces to work together to fight disasters and help save lives. An example could be taken from the California fires of 2018 where drones were used to collect data and immediately warn people about the fires. From the data collected, the firefighters were able to track where the fire was moving and extinguish it before it could spread too far. Therefore, it is a clear indication of the abilities of containing wildfires and preventing the spread through just the basic use of drones. Natural and man-made disasters often make conditions so difficult that relief workers are unable to access certain areas and provide help in time of need. Drones have the ability to monitor situations where the relief workers and manned vehicles may be unable to get to. This is especially helpful when fires have ravaged cities, blocked highways and towns are being evacuated. During natural disasters like fires, floods, earthquakes or hurricanes, infrastructure supply lines are cut and disabled. Roads, bridges, communication cables, gas and water lines may get disrupted and the residents in those areas can be at risk. Drones can help in such situations by supplying water and food to those in need and even allowing temporary internet access. This seems like a simple deed, but when fire departments and emergency response units are required to help across a state, small benefits such as food and water can be overlooked, while bigger challenges of tackling the fire are a priority. Drones can aerially survey the damage and help in allocating resources, creating strategic action plans and finding people in need more quickly and efficiently.  During hurricane Harvey, drones were deployed to check the damage caused to highways, power lines, office buildings and homes. The footage received from the drones helped public safety officials to rescue people, monitor flooding and better estimate the time of relief. A drone was able to search a 200-acre field and locate a missing man in only 20 minutes.Truly, drones can cover more ground, more effectively and in less time, than people. During hurricane Harvery, the world witnessed the benefits of deploying commercial drones in disaster relief. The same happened after hurricanes Irma and Florence, responsible for about $50 billion and $20 billion in damage, respectively. Every country has times where people gather to celebrate, be it sports, festivals or any other occasion. During such events, emergency response teams have to be very observant for potential disasters, unexpected fires or watch for untoward incidents. Drones are an ideal tool here, since they provide a wider-field view and transmit real-time data to the control room. Using drones, one can zoom in on an area of interest and thus provide the control room vital information about what is happening on the ground. Such critical information that is needed to make informed decisions in an event of an emergency. Using drones helps in getting the real-time information so that the control room can send the response team to the spot without delay in case

Technology in search and rescue operations, focusing on USAR and underground SAR, needs to become a global standard in order to increase the safety of the responders New technology can make search and rescue work much safer. To achieve fluidity and success in search and rescue, close collaboration is required between fire and rescue services, the industry and researchers in order to develop new technology. Search and Rescue (SAR), is one of the most challenging elements within the fire industry. Responders do not only tackle fires themselves, but also deal with the elements within very specific and challenging environments. Therefore, any technology can benefit fire department teams, whether it be radar, communication, drones or even the specific equipment and uniform used. Urban search and rescue As population growth has accelerated and cities have expanded, focus has increasingly turned to urban space, the most complicated and high-risk environment in which such operations are carried out. Urban search and rescue (USAR) presents a unique challenge, demanding both a highly specialised, yet multidisciplinary approach. No matter how well trained or prepared fire services and emergency response teams are, often the success and failure of operations is dictated not by training or ability, but rather by the equipment at a team’s disposal. There are many examples of technology being brought to the market, however this needs to become a standard globally. The EU-funded INACHUS project has unveiled ground-breaking solutions to increase situational awareness of first responders and aid them in the detection and localisation of trapped victims during urban search and rescue operations. Emergency situations such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks, or even incidents that have the potential to become more serious – can damage infrastructure, cause injury or loss of life and trap people in debris. An immediate life-saving response by USAR teams is required to rescue those who are trapped and evacuate survivors.  Composed of 20 partners, the INACHUS consortium succeeded in developing a holistic platform that provides wide-area situational awareness, thereby enhancing the detection and localisation of trapped victims. The platform is assisted by simulation tools that allow USAR teams to predict structural failures and a holistic decision support mechanism that incorporates operational procedures and resources of relevant actors. “The INACHUS methodology is as user-centric as possible: Based on end-user insights and needs, INACHUS carefully designed and evaluated an integrated platform that provides the appropriate tools to first responders and USAR teams to effectively and quickly respond to various emergency events,” notes Project Manager Evangelos Sdongos. The INACHUS consortium has developed several innovative technological aids for the USAR sector for example, the INACHUS robot. This robot is a snake-like robot prototype designed to aid rescue teams in finding and communicating with victims under a collapsed building. An operator can remotely control the robot and drive it under the rubble by entering very small openings. The robot detects human presence through a mounted radar sensor, an electronic nose (which also detects dangerous gases) and an infrared camera. Automatically tracking its position based on a real-time locating system, an embedded two-way audio communication system allows the rescue team to communicate with the victims under the rubble. These types of research and projects are paramount to the success of the USAR sector. The products can aid in finding injured people, discovering potential dangerous situations and identifying causes and directions of fires.  Underground search and rescue Adverse geological conditions are frequently encountered during underground construction and mining activities, which can trigger potentially hazardous events — the surrounding nature of working underground results in limited visibility and communication networks. Fire in an underground environment is a difficult challenge to face for both the local fire and rescue services and a private organisation. The greater the complexity of a facility, the better prepared everyone involved must be. At a complex facility, all of the various technological systems must work under all circumstances, and the margin for error is far less than for everyday accidents.  The industry must continue to take responsibility and maintain its vigilance. Fire and rescue services need to develop tactics and methods for moving through a complex, multi-level underground facility and for efficiently extinguishing fires without putting firefighters at risk. Legislation must be adapted to such facilities, and technology can help aid in all of these areas. The industry must continue to develop technology which supports rescue operations and which can eliminate the necessity for personnel to enter in person in order to extinguish a fire.  This is, of course, no easy task. Nor is it possible to deal with within a single organisation; rather, it requires large-scale cooperation and team efforts. There is a good word for this – co-production with all partners involved.  When looking at global underground fire risks and threats, Sweden is world-leading in certain areas regarding fires in underground constructions. In Swedish hard rock mines fire spread is less difficult to handle than in other European coal mines, as the rock itself cools the smoke and the surface does not contribute to the propagation of fire. The probability that a rescue chamber will heat up is low, but the smoke spread constitutes a problem. At present, we possess relatively complete knowledge of how fires in mines start, and for how long a mining vehicle burns. There is, however, a discrepancy between recommendations, legislation and reality. Four hours’ availability of fresh air in a rescue chamber is insufficient due to the fact that a combusting mining vehicle can burn in excess of this and, in such a scenario, it is far from certain that fire and rescue personnel will be able to reach the rescue chamber before the air is depleted.  The most obvious solution to underground rescue issues is, naturally, to avoid having to send in personnel, and to instead extinguish fires and gather information using advanced technological solutions. Three key areas which are utilising technology to improve safety underground already include: enhanced communications, data monitoring and assessment, efficiency emergency response procedures and digital transformation. When technology

London Fire Brigade is renewing its calls to make sprinklers in schools mandatory following a number of devastating fires in Derbyshire which prompted the Chief Fire Officer to take action. The Brigade has long campaigned on the importance of sprinklers and has called for them to be compulsory in new schools and retrofitted during refurbishments, to bring England in line with legislation in Scotland and Wales. Derbyshire’s Chief Fire Officer Gavin Tomlinson is calling on the Government to take action after two schools in the area were destroyed by fires within 48 hours of each other. Neither building had sprinklers fitted. He is calling on the Government to support suggested changes to the Building Bulletin 100 (BB100), which covers guidance on fire safety in schools, ahead of it going out for further public consultation. London Fire Brigade submitted its response to the BB100 call for evidence in May last year and reiterated its calls for sprinklers to be mandatory in all new school builds and refurbishments. The LFB also called for guidance to be updated around evacuation procedures for children with additional needs. So far this year, firefighters have attended 40 fires in schools and other educational establishments in London. Just one of these buildings was fitted with sprinklers. Last year there were 102 school fires in London, 104 in 2018 and 124 in 2017. Of these 330 incidents, sprinklers were installed on just six occasions – less than 2%. The majority (89%) of fires in schools in London in the last four years (to date) have been accidental, rather than deliberate. The Brigade‘s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Paul Jennings, said: “With school fires, it’s not just about minimising the initial damage to the building. It’s also about the wider impact these fires can have on the community when schools are forced to close – particularly at a time when children have already missed out on parts of their education this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. “Sprinkler systems in schools greatly reduce the damage caused to the building as well as the devastating impact on children, parents and staff. Schools are at the heart of a community and the effects of a fire are far reaching. “We absolutely support Mr Tomlinson’s calls for the fire safety in schools guidance to be changed to make sprinklers mandatory in new schools and refurbishments and bring us in line with other parts of the UK. “Sprinklers are not a luxury – they are the only system which detects fire, raises the alarm and suppresses fire – they save lives and also reduce risk to the firefighters who have to tackle the fires. “It’s time to see some action in this area to minimise the impact of fire in our schools.”

Lake Assault Boats has delivered a fire and rescue craft to Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire & Rescue Department in North Carolina. The 28-foot long vessel is serving on Lake Norman, the largest and longest lake in the Carolinas. “We were introduced to the folks at Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire & Rescue by a neighboring department, that has operated one of our fireboats for close to a decade,” said Bob Beck, Lake Assault Boats director of sales and marketing. “These word-of-mouth introductions are extremely gratifying, as they represent a satisfied customer experiencing the quality and long- term value we build into each and every one of our vessels.” Lake Norman is an extremely popular resource that features 520 miles of shoreline surrounded by lake homes, summer cabins, numerous marinas, and several parks. “Our department is responsible for covering a large percentage of the lake’s shoreline, and this new craft has the power and versatility to take our response capabilities to a whole new level,” explained Deputy Chief Justin Butler of Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire & Rescue Department. “For example, we support land based apparatus, conduct rescue and recovery operations, and protect the marinas and the more than 30,000 boats registered on the lake.” The craft is outfitted with twin 350 hp Mercury Verado outboard engines controlled through the innovative one-touch Skyhook Digital Anchor and Joystick Piloting system. The firefighting equipment includes a 1500 gpm Darley fire pump (powered by a dedicated V-8 engine), an Elkhart monitor, twin 4-inch discharges, and a foam system. The 9-foot long pilothouse provides protection from the elements and is equipped with a forward leaning windshield, safety glass all around, sliding windows, lockable storage, a fold-down workstation and an automatic fire suppression system below deck. The onboard electronics include dual 12-inch touchscreens mounted on the dash, Garmin radar and sonar with SideVu and DownVu, chart plotting, and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) system. “We visited the factory for a ‘pre-paint’ inspection; this was very beneficial as we were able to tweak a few things with help from their team,” offered Butler. “The bottom line is we’re very happy with the boat and Lake Assault’s service and support. They’ve jumped on any issues or requests, and have been great to work with.”

E-ONE, a subsidiary of REV Group, have recently announced the delivery of two E-ONE Custom Pumpers to Daytona Beach Fire Department in Florida. With the recent addition of these two pumpers, Daytona Beach now has an all E-ONE fleet. Key features of Daytona Beach Fire Department’s Custom Pumpers include: Typhoon cab with 12″ vista roof, severe duty interior and dark tint glass Galvanised and powder coated frame for corrosion resistance 188″ wheelbase with 18,000 lb front axle and 27,000 lb rear axle Cummins 450 HP L9 engine with Allison EVS 3000 transmission Extruded aluminium rescue pumper body with full height compartments and ROM roller shutter doors Enclosed ladder tunnel for 24′, 14′ and 10′ ladders and pike poles and pry bar Wide upper roof-top compartments for additional storage space Waterous 1250 GPM pump with 780 gallon tank (750 water / 30 foam) V-MUX electrical system with driver and officer color displays, integrated A/C controls, integrated tire pressure monitoring and left, right and rear cameras Whelen LED warning and scene lighting AXIS Smart Truck Technology “These custom pumpers are the newest members of our fleet for a total of six all-matching Typhoon pumpers. This provides our crews with the latest and greatest tools that meet NFPA compliance so they can be successful on the fire scene,” said Daytona Beach Fire Chief Dru Driscoll. “We hope to continue our relationship with E-ONE and REV Technical Center for years to come as our needs continue to grow as Daytona Beach grows.” “With apparatus built to Daytona’s specific requirements, E-ONE is grateful that the department now has an all E-ONE fleet to serve its community,” said Larry Daniels, Director of Sales. “We are honoured that Daytona continues to trust E-ONE for all of its fire apparatus needs.” For more on the Custom Typhoon Pumper, go to e-one.com.

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety has recently announced that it has acquired Mitec, an innovative fire and property protection company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The purchase will allow Pye-Barker Fire to better serve Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina markets while adding a new presence in Alabama and Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1989, Mitec’s highly trained personnel use advanced technology to inspect more than one million devices every year — all while guaranteeing superior service and results. Mitec had 140 employees at the time of the closing. “We are excited about joining the Pye-Barker team and are confident that the combined organizations will not only enhance the customer experience, but will also provide significant opportunities for growth within the Mitec team”, said Bryan Shaver, President of Mitec. “Throughout the process of getting to know Pye-Barker’s culture, capabilities, and growth plans it became clear that this was a unique opportunity to join an industry leader and work collectively to aggressively expand in existing and new markets.” Through the purchase of Mitec, Pye-Barker Fire will be able to leverage its extensive commercial and geographic reach to enhance its core service offerings for Class A, commercial and hospital facility customers. “With inspection and testing being the heart of Mitec’s business, they also bring full-service technology integration that will be key in growing our business moving forward”, said Bart Proctor, CEO of Pye-Barker Fire. “The purchase of Mitec complements our existing core service offerings and strengthens our presence in the Southeast, all of which made this a very attractive opportunity”.

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has secured an order from Cottleville Fire Protection District located in St. Charles County, Missouri. Sold through Pierce dealer, MacQueen Emergency, the order includes four Pierce Velocity Pumpers and an Ascendant 110’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Platform on a Velocity chassis. The new fire apparatus will replace aging trucks, and will allow the Cottleville Fire Protection District to establish improved standardisation with an entirely Pierce fleet. Researching, specifying, and subsequently purchasing apparatus during a pandemic presented a new level of complexity that few were prepared to handle. “The professionals from MacQueen Emergency and Pierce worked closely with our apparatus purchasing committee through these unchartered waters, making sure that we had everything needed to make such critical decisions,” said Craig Tihen, assistant chief of the Cottleville Fire Protection District. “As we researched the best fire apparatus for our district, multiple fire districts and departments were on lockdown and limiting outside visitors. “We absolutely had to test drive, pump, and operate an Ascendant 110’ single rear axle platform to make an informed decision, and our sales team worked diligently through the situation to deliver a demonstrator truck as promised.” Cottleville Fire Protection District’s new fire apparatus will feature: PIERCE VELOCITY PUMPERS Velocity chassis 700-gallon water tank Pierce PUC 1500 gpm single-stage pump Detroit Diesel DD13 525 hp engine TAK-4 Independent Suspension Side roll and frontal impact protection HiViz electronic LED headlights with halo flashing system, Will-Burt light tower, and Whelen warning light system Carcinogen Awareness and Reduction to Exposure (CARE) cab customisation including vinyl seats and aluminium floor ASCENDANT 110’ HEAVY-DUTY AERIAL PLATFORM Velocity chassis with a 110’ heavy-duty steel ladder platform 500-gallon water tank 1500 gpm pump Detroit Diesel DD13 525 hp engine TAK-4 Independent Suspension Side roll and frontal impact protection Single rear axle configuration Carcinogen Awareness and Reduction to Exposure (CARE) cab customisation including vinyl seats and aluminium floor Chief Tihen added, “We chose this configuration for its balanced compromise between apparatus size, options, and capacity. The 189” rescue body provides us ample storage for equipment with 700 gallons of water and a safely positioned hose bed, all while providing a short wheelbase for exceptional maneuverability.” The Cottleville Fire Protection District covers 38 square miles of St. Charles County, Missouri, and is located just northwest of St. Louis. The district responds to over 3,800 service calls per year out of four fire stations. With three shifts working a 48/96 rotation, the District employs 58 full-time personnel. “Selecting new fire apparatus to best serve a community is a huge responsibility even during the most normal of circumstances,” said Andy Klein, sales manager of MacQueen Emergency’s Missouri branch. “When we faced the challenges experienced worldwide this year, we knew that all parties would have to work together in a creative way to achieve a common goal. “Thankfully, our team has built an incredible level of trust with the Cottleville Fire Protection District over 25 years, and we are confident that the apparatus selected will meet their needs for exceptional maneuverability, reliability, performance.”