South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is embarking upon a trial of a hi-tech, remotely operated aerial vehicle known as a Microdrone helicopter. It can provide operational fire crews with vital aerial images to assist in dealing with a wide range of emergency situations and gathering operational intelligence before deployment of resources.
The Microdrone has four rotor-carrying arms and a pair of landing skids. It is designed to hover above incidents and transmit live images to a vehicle or control room.
The near-silent craft which weighs less than a bag of sugar, takes off and lands vertically can be deployed in less than three minutes. The Microdrone can fly in most weather conditions and has a maximum speed of 15mph.
The Microdrone can be fitted with a variety of cameras, which allows Incident Commanders to get clear aerial images of an incident and the surrounding environment, assisting with the decision making at large and complex incidents. The range of cameras in can accommodate includes a 12-megapixel stills camera, high definition digital video, low-light and thermal imaging units.
The Microdrone is battery-powered with a flight time of 20 minutes and a range of 500 metres, it can either be controlled manually or be operated on autopilot to follow a pre-programmed flight route.
The Microdrone system requires a team of two personnel to operate, one controlling the drone itself, whilst the second operative monitors the function, diagnostics and images supplied from the Microdrone on a PC base station.
The Microdrone will be operated by personnel within the Operational Planning, Development and Support (OPDS) Directorate. The role of the OPDS Directorate is to provide operational intelligence, operational development and tactical review teams, civil contingencies and emergency planning roles, and a wide range of other special projects relating to the development of tactics and equipment.
It is anticipated that the Microdrone will also play a valuable part in the reduction of deliberate fire setting. It will be used for promoting community safety as well as providing a high profile visual deterrent to would-be fire setters, with its highly visible colour. The Microdrone will be deployed during times when the Service are experiencing high levels of remote, grass, forestry and wild land fires. The MicroDrone will be utilised in known areas of high activity in order to prevent activities of deliberate fire setting.
The Microdrone will also provide valuable assistance and support of operational personnel at incidents where it could be used in the following areas;