Nathan Clark
mlive.com
(TNS)
JACKSON, MI – The Jackson Fire Department has a new tool to aid its firefighters in combating fires, investigating their aftermath and search and rescue operations.
The City of Jackson unveiled its first aerial drone Tuesday, Feb. 25, ready to take to the sky during the next emergency, Jackson Spokesman Aaron Dimick said.
Industrial Steel Treating, a Jackson-based automotive supplier, donated the drone to the fire department in 2024 and covered the cost of training for three firefighters to become licensed drone pilots, Dimick said.
“It’s just another tool that helps us do our jobs,” Jackson Fire Capt. Shane Green said. “They can be used for firefighting aspects, along with water and ice rescues. The drone can actually detect victims underwater. When looking for missing people with the thermal cameras, you’re able to pick up heat signatures of victims.”
Green was one of the three firefighters who were licensed to operate the drone. He noted that it will only be used during emergency situations and only in the area where the emergency is happening.
Tim Levy, co-owner of Industrial Steel Treating, said he and his brother Tom Levy were inspired to donate the drone after a fire ripped through vacant industrial facility Aug. 22, 2023, on North Street in Jackson.
Related: Timeline: A minute-by-minute look at how a large factory in Jackson was destroyed by fire
“If they would have had this tool during that big fire on North Street, it would have helped the response and kept firefighters safe,” Levy said. “We wanted to show our support for local firefighters and know when there’s a major incident the drone will help the entire community. We’re pleased to be a part of that.”
Fire crews from every fire station in Jackson County, along with one crew from the Chelsea Area Fire Authority in Washtenaw County, responded to the call for assistance.
The blaze was so large that smoke was visible from every corner of Jackson County. Four firefighters were injured during the incident.
“If we had the drone, we could have thrown it up in about two minutes and gotten a full view of the fire. Plus the drone has the capability to find hot spots,” Green said.
By definition, hot spots are areas where fire exists but cannot be seen, such as within a wall, or where a fire has been extinguished but temperatures are still high enough at a spot to reignite the fire.
The drone has not yet been used in service and is being kept at the ready for future emergency situations in the city or county, Green said.
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