Firefighters in Lichfield will have an eye in the sky after the rollout of new technology.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue has invested more than £20,000 in two drones armed with a thermal imaging camera, night vision and zoom capability.
The technology is designed to help gather vital information about incidents to keep crews and the public on the ground safe.
One of the drones will be based at Lichfield Fire Station.
David Steele, head of the Northern Service Delivery Group at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“Drones are perfect for giving us real-time data of evolving scenes and hard-to-reach emergencies.
“They can be mobilised to any incident but will be particularly useful for helping us to deal with large building fires, wildfires, waste fires, hazardous materials, water rescues, missing persons investigations and assisting our partner agencies.
“The use of such technology at large incidents can result in the prevention of escalation and earlier resolution, safeguarding our crews and the public, and leading to a smaller release of contaminants, such as smoke and debris, into the atmosphere.”
David Steele, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Firefighters are currently undergoing training in how to use the drones with the aim of establishing a team of around 12 pilots.
