Bedfordshire fire service enhances operations with new drone technology

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) has announced the expansion and enhancement of its operational capabilities with new drone technology.

BFRS has invested in the DJI Mavic 3 Thermal Enterprise Drone (DJI 3T). These new drones are compact and portable and operate a 40-minute flight time, per battery. The units are equipped with a 4K camera featuring a 56x zoom on a stabilised gimbal, as well as a thermal image camera.

With one unit stationed at Harrold and another at Leighton Buzzard, alongside a smaller drone for indoor operations based at Leighton Buzzard, the service now has the capability to swiftly deploy drones to incidents across the region. The new drones meet the rigorous demands of fire and rescue operations as well as being suitable for supporting police in missing person searches.

“This new investment in drone technology and our partnerships with police teams in terms of training and operational delivery, shows our commitment to finding innovative solutions to better serve the community.”

Crew Commander Liam Common, a drone operator at Leighton Buzzard Fire Station.

Under the stewardship of highly trained remote pilots, certified under a commercial license through the Beds, Cambs Police and Fire consortium, these drones offer a diverse range of capabilities.

The collective drone team offers a range of critical services including live streaming of building fires and outdoor blazes with thermal imaging, missing person search and rescue operations, and comprehensive overviews of incident scenes, including hazardous material and terrorism scenarios.

Drones also aid in fire investigations, aerial photography for training exercises, and building inspections. Integration with GoodSAM, a worldwide video streaming platform designed for the emergency services, enables seamless footage streaming to stakeholders for swift decision-making during emergencies.

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