Drones provide a useful tool for multiple functions within a modern fire department. The Los Angeles City Fire Department has been among the first to embrace the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones, and the program has continued to grow in the last seven years, always guided by professionalism and accountability.
training, standardization, and professional development
What can other fire departments learn from the Los Angeles example? “You have to crawl first, then walk after that, and then run,” says Richard Fields, Deputy Chief at Los Angeles City Fire Department, who has worked with the UAS program since the beginning.
“After all these years, we are conscious of doing it right, which means you have to do it slowly. We make sure every pilot we certify can operate the drones safely. We are mirroring our program after the larger aviation world, with comparable levels of training, standardization, and professional development.”
LAFD drone program
We put our people through their paces with written tests and training"
The Los Angeles City Fire Department drone program began in 2017, built on professionalism, using pilots with military experience, and aspiring to the high standards of the department’s manned aviation department.
“We wanted to make it clear that this is not a hobby, it’s an aircraft being operated in air space by a professional pilot,” says Fields. “We put our people through their paces with written tests and training.”
Certifications
The department developed relationships with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), obtained the required Certificate of Authorization (COA), and has become an example of a successful program. Los Angeles City FD participated in 2018 when drones were first on display at the FDIC convention.
Drone payloads include high-definition visible and zoom cameras, thermal cameras, and gas and chemical detection sensors. Some of the larger drones can carry up to 15 pounds, able to deliver a life preserver or rope across a distance in an emergency, for instance.
Applications
Drones are used both in emergencies and to accomplish day-to-day job requirements. For instance, drones can help to inspect wildlands or map parcels during fire inspections.
An individual seeking to inspect a parcel of land would require hours to take 25 good pictures at ground level. In contrast, a drone can take 500 or more images in 20 minutes, which can be stitched together to provide a mosaic of the larger area. Drones can also be used to examine oil wells faster than ground inspections.
Force multiplier
LA fire’s drone program does not “stand-alone,” but rather is integrated with a variety of specialty units
During COVID, drones helped the LA fire department produce maps to guide the positioning of testing and vaccination sites and to analyze traffic patterns.
Notably, LA fire’s drone program does not “stand alone,” but rather is integrated with a variety of specialty units throughout the department. Drones are a “force multiplier” in dozens of applications throughout the department.
Real-time guidance
In emergencies, drones provide images to guide firefighting and rescue operations in real-time. For example, if a manned helicopter unit drops water onto a fire, a drone flying nearby can assess the impact of that water drop on the heat signature of the fire, thus pinpointing the need for additional actions.
After a fire is extinguished, drones with thermal cameras can identify any hot spots still needing attention. In this way, drones can accelerate the repopulation of a damaged area from 3 days to a single day.
situational awareness
In a house fire, drones can assess the condition of the roof or on the other side of the building from where firefighters are working, including heat signatures showing hot spots. By providing more situational awareness, drones can positively impact operations and safety.
In a cliff-side rescue scenario, a drone can share a video of the progress of rescuers who rappel off a cliff, images that cannot be seen from the top of the cliff. Drones can also be used to drop a rope or life preserver to facilitate the rescue.
internal flight management system
A picture is worth 1,000 words, and more accurate assessments help to deploy resources more efficiently"
“Drone images can provide a visual to match what they are hearing on the radio,” says Fields. “A picture is worth 1,000 words, and more accurate assessments help to deploy resources more efficiently.” In a swift water rescue, a drone can quickly provide a view of the victim, not obtainable either from the embankment or even a helicopter.
An internal flight management system logs the missions and how many hours drones fly, metrics that are provided to an oversight committee. In the last report (2021) they flew just under 800 hours and about 500 missions.
22 types of drones
Today, the LAFD program includes 22 drones of various types and models and 20 or so pilots. About 80% of the drones are from Chinese manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd. DJI models used in the Los Angeles fire department include M600, M300, M100, Phantom 4, and Mavic.
In addition, the department uses drones from other manufacturers, including a Yuneec heavy-duty drone, a Parrot ANAFI professional drone, and an Autel drone.
reliability, usability, and standardization
Any security concerns related to how the drone is used are a non-issue when it comes to firefighting
Although manufactured in China and previously the target of concerns about national security risks, DJI drones are widely used in the fire service because of their reliability, usability, and standardization. Fields point out that national security issues are not a concern for firefighter applications, such as viewing a construction fire, compared to, say, a military flight operation.
Any security concerns are related to how the drone is used, which is generally a non-issue when it comes to firefighting. Public safety seeks to be a “voice in the room” urging moderation as lawmakers and regulators consider restricting the use of Chinese-made drones, says Fields.
Transparency
In the years since the program launched, the department has “tweaked” it to address security concerns and provide full transparency to the public. When finalizing policies and procedures, the department allowed the ACLU to preview its proposal and then fine-tuned the final version to address any concerns about privacy or transparency.
“We have been very transparent about our program and are more than happy to show off our program and our capabilities,” says Fields
safety operations
There is a clear line of demarcation between how the fire department uses drones and how the police department might use them. Police operations are more likely to be “surveillance” applications, thus raising privacy concerns, while the fire department uses drones to improve their operations and make them safer.
A key to successfully managing the LAFD program is standardizing how pilots are trained. The program has become an exemplar in the region, and the department has helped 30 fire departments around the country launch their programs.