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On Monday night, more than 100 firefighters responded to a four-alarm fire that broke out in a series of row houses the Bronx's Claremont Village. One civilian and five firefighters were treated for injuries, and 20 families were forced out of their homes as a result of the blaze. It's certainly not a situation that we want to make light of, but one very interesting tidbit from the incident should make every tech nerd in the city wet in the pants: FDNY unleashed its brand spanking new $85,000 drone to help survey the fire.
The drone in question weighs eight pounds and packs both a high-definition and infrared camera. It's not used to put out fires, per say, but rather allow firefighters on the scene to survey a blaze and keep everyone involved in the operation safe. Unlike conventional hobbyist or production drones, the FDNY's is "tethered," meaning that it's connected to the ground via a small cable that transmits electricity so that it doesn't have to land for battery changes.
The technology is pretty revolutionary for any fire department, much less New York's. But don't be quick to dismiss the gadget as an unnecessary expense—the ability to see a live high-definition and infrared feed of a building in flames gives firefighters an edge in putting out a blaze more quickly, and potentially keeping everyone involved out of compromising or life-threatening situations.
Here's what the infrared view from the drone looks like:
#FDNY drone footage aids in tactical decision making, gives Incident Commander full view otherwise not visible https://t.co/yRC4Cl5Pmo pic.twitter.com/MEy4UZS2C2
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 7, 2017
Here's that sweet, sweet high-def resolution:
Watch: #FDNY drone allows Incident Commander to see elements of operations not visible from Command Post. Read more https://t.co/yRC4Cl5Pmo pic.twitter.com/ZoaUbAFz5E
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 7, 2017
And here's what an $85,000 life-saving, anti-death from above machine looks like:
