Drone gives Queen Creek fire an assist

The Queen Creek Fire & Medical Department has launched drones as part of its first-responder program.

A remote piloted unmanned aircraft system is mounted on the battalion chief vehicle and deployed when the unit arrives at major calls.

“We ask a lot of those who risk their lives for our lives and our property. We owe it to them to provide the best tools and even new technologies to mitigate their risk,” Queen Creek Town Council Member Jeff Brown said in an interview. “I want each of our firefighters and first responders to be able to make it home to their loved ones at the end of each shift.”

Dubbed “Dorothy,” the drone system provides real-time aerial footage to incident commanders before crews arrive on the scene. Dorthy's docking platform and eight drones cost the town approximatley $103,000, according to a town spokesperson.

“Dorothy represents our commitment to innovation, serving our community and the safety of our firefighters,” stated QCFMD Chief Vance Gray in a press release. “We appreciate the continued support of the council to provide the best service to our residents. This is one example of technology enhancing the response of the firefighting industry.”

The drones are equipped with thermal-imaging capabilities and can assist with a range of incidents including structure fires, brush fires, major crashes, search-and-rescue operations and hazardous material situations, the release continued.

Live video feeds are transmitted directly to command staff and responding units to help guide decisions in real time.

Dorothy also keeps firefighters safe by identifying potential hazards. For example, during a recent fire, drone footage identified structural instability, and firefighters were pulled out. About a minute later, the structure collapsed, the release stated.

“Queen Creek is the model that departments across the country look to as they explore implementation,” Vice Mayor Bryan McClure said in an interview. “‘Dorothy’ has proven to protect the lives of our firefighters and optimize how we respond to emergencies. This advancement in technology is helping make our community even safer for both our residents and first responders.”

All drone operations are conducted in accordance with federal aviation regulations and are limited to emergency response and approved public safety training.

Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org. Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.