Drone Aids Pa. Firefighters at Warehouse Blaze

If you look up the term drone in the dictionary, you’ll see an explanation something like: a remote-controlled pilotless aircraft or missile.

In the past decade, we’ve gotten used to hearing about drones being used to hunt down and take out the enemy on battlegrounds worlds away. More recently, we’ve come to utilize drones in many other ways as well. For instance, we now deploy them on our firegrounds.

At 3:36 in morning of May 15, 2015, the Plymouth, Pa., Fire Company (Montco 43) was dispatched to a building fire on Colwell Lane. Upon arrival, we found a 150-by-150-foot single-story, flooring warehouse with fire through the roof on the B/C corner. The building was constructed of cinder block with a metal roof. Chief Michael Burton (Chief 43) put out the order that this was going to be a defensive firefight and at that time called for a second alarm. As units were arriving and setting up, there were several powerful explosions toward the center of the structure. A third alarm was called at 3:50 a.m. for additional truck and engine companies as water supply was quickly becoming an issue and there was no quick end in sight.

Three hours into the fight, the morning sun was breaking over the horizon and the bulk of the fire had been knocked down. Sections of the A, B and C walls had collapsed. The metal roof (approximately 22,500 square feet) had fallen in and covered what was left of the contents of the building. Stacks of flooring hardwoods, various types of toxic adhesives and the company’s five vans were all still burning under the fallen roof.

At 6:15 a.m., Assistant Chief Mike Gehman (Asst. 43) remembered that I had been training with a camera drone for my professional photography business. Gehman requested that I put the drone through its maiden fireground flight. Chief Burton had high expectations for what the drone could do. “Due to the large size of the building and the limited access of the aerial devices, we had a difficult time getting intelligence on what the interior of the building looked like,” he said. “The drone was able to get a 360-degree view of the interior of the building and provide us with crucial information about the details of the building.”

At 7:00 a.m., the drone was ready to make its first fireground flight. Given that the building was located in a complex of warehouses that were surrounded by parking lots, it was an easy task to setup an LZ (landing and takeoff point) in close proximity to the fire building, but clear of the firefighters. As soon as it hit the air, the drone became known as Drone 43.

Prior to takeoff, I did a quick scan of the area looking for obstacles like overhead wires and, of course, the placement of the aerial ladders and platforms. As a drone operator it is your responsibility to fly with extreme care. You must always be observant of your surroundings…service cables, trees, towers and the fire personal working on the scene. Although not everyone on the fireground was notified of the flight, key members of the command team and the command center were in full knowledge of the drone’s mission. Also prior to takeoff, I was made aware that the local power company (PECO) had turned off power to the entire complex. Another concern you always deal with is the weather. Flying a quad copter in windy conditions is not well advised. Your ability to control the craft is very limited in the wind. You also want to keep the craft out of the rain and any other adverse weather conditions. Remember, a gust of wind can grab the drone and completely take it out of your control. On this occasion the weather was perfect for a flight. In fact, every condition was perfect!

I successfully navigated the craft completely around the building at an altitude no higher than 120 feet. Drone 43 is equipped with onboard video/still camera that transmits its files in real time back to an iPhone located on the hand-held drone control panel. Files are also stored aboard the drone in a Micro SD card. Assistant Chief Gehman assisted me at the LZ and viewed the live video feed from the drone as it flew in and out of the smoke header raising from what was left of the building.

When the craft landed, the Micro SD card was rushed to the mobile command center. Its files were instantly uploaded and viewed on the center’s large computer screen. Command center staff along with Chief Burton were able to make immediate aerial repositioning moves to more effectively extinguish the hot spots. Excavation equipment was then able to bring the remaining walls down and pick apart what was left of the roof and the buildings contents.

During an after-action meeting, Chief Burton was asked what he thought of the drones operation. Did the onboard camera help the effort; would it be used again in future fireground operations? Did he have any concern for the responders on the fireground?

His reply was unequivocal. “I would absolutely use it again and look to build it into our operational procedures,” he said. “I had limited concern for firefighter safety because there was no interior operation occurring. I also trust Dave as an experienced operator to fly the drone safely and appropriately. As with any new endeavor, there are always liability concerns. I believe we are on the forefront of drone usage in the fire service and therefore in uncharted territory. I am in the process of researching liability issues for such things.”

To our knowledge, this was the first drone flight over a Montgomery County area fireground. The news of the drone flight has spread throughout the county fire stations. Some neighboring chiefs have asked whether this is a tool that they can call upon from Station 43.

From battlegrounds to firegrounds, drones are here to stay.

Costs are coming down. While it does take some time to learn to use them, the additional intelligence gained during fireground operations make this technology worth the investment. The drone I fly is a DJI Vision 2 Plus quad copter. The onboard rechargeable battery gives you 24 minutes of flight time. I highly recommend purchasing an extra battery or two to extend your flight time. Invest in rotor guards. They not only protect the rotors that propel the drone, but they would also protect any human if they should happen to come in contact with the drone. The entire package with one extra battery will cost just around $1,500.

As the operator of Drone 43, I have created a checklist of operation procedures that I will live by:

1. Be fully aware of the surroundings on the fireground.
2. Make sure that the OIC has complete knowledge of the flight.
3. Prepare a proper LZ.
4. Be aware of the weather conditions.
5. While the drone is flying, keep eye contact with the craft at all times.
6. Keep a constant eye on the power level of the battery (24 minutes goes by fast, don’t push that envelope). Carry extra batteries!
7. Be safe, think safe! Not only for your aircraft, but for the firefighters working the firegrounds

DAVID JACKSON is a firefighter with the Plymouth Fire Company (Montco 43) in Montgomery County, Pa. He is also a full-time photographer and has covered numerous emergency scenes.