More good news about drones doing some nice work for the safety of people. In a hospital in New Zealand, a drone proved invaluable during a recent fire emergency.
The drone itself belonged to the area’s emergency department. It previously helped in other fire cases, as well as police scouting missions.
Hospital Fire Contained:
The drone had thermal cameras built in, which was evidently crucial in the emergency. With it, the drone spotted heat pockets within the building. Specifically in the boiler area, which gave firefighters in the scene a more accurate data to go on. This meant that they did not go in blindly and had to spend time searching the area for the source. This would also mean a faster, more accurate, and more zeroed-in approach to solve the problem.
The fire was apparently started by a tumble dryer in the hospital’s laundry room. The gas-powered dryer malfunctioned, leading to a fire starting.
The heat signatures in one particular area separated itself from the rest of the building. Thanks to the drone, the officials in the area were quick to make decisions and take action. The fire became contained long before it could spread and do more damage, all because of one drone’s valuable information.
If the drone was not in the area, the fire department could only find out through the old way. This meant the fire had to spread through multiple areas for the smoke to show its location. Without any visual signatures, fires can be difficult to detect. That is why in most instances of fires breaking out, incidents receive attention at a later (and more dangerous) phase. Not only did the drone help pinpoint the fire location, it also saved the hospital from further damages. The fire, which proved to be quite dangerous if left untouched, took the combined efforts of nearly a hundred fire responders to contain.
Still, an early solution led to this situation to have a happy ending. The fire failed to spread in patient areas, and a hasty approach made sure the situation did not go out of control. No personnel received injury in the process, all thanks to a well-equipped drone.
