2020 was a record-breaking year for fires. 2022 is stacking up to be another bad season – with early and intense fires this spring. Now, Phoenix Fire Department has chosen Skydio drones for Life-Saving Missions
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M Crosby
Leading drone manufacturer Skydio has been named as the Phoenix Fire Department’s platform of choice for its UAS program.
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This newly-launched program was developed to increase safety for firefighters, as well as to enhance emergency response support within Phoenix.
As more and more public safety agencies begin to deploy drones, Skydio has seen a growing interest in its Skydio 2+and Skydio X2 drones, powered by its Skydio Autonomy autonomous flight software. These models are widely praised for their suitability in helping inexperienced pilots safely carry out operations and access necessary real-time data.
The Department’s new UAS program serves as the first part of the City of Phoenix’s phased approach to incorporate drones into its daily workflows. The Phoenix Fire Department has purchased three thermal imaging camera-equipped Skydio X2 drones, and has nine FAA Part 107 certified drone pilots. The systems will be deployed mainly to help in combating structure and brush fires, as well as for drone search and rescue missions.
“The autonomous flight capabilities of the Skydio drones will help our teams gain situational awareness from an aerial view, while being equipped with advanced safety features that protect both our community and firefighters, and enable our new pilots to fly confidently,” said Phoenix Fire Chief Mike Duran.
The Phoenix Fire Department’s UAS team has completed a total of 94 flights as of July 15th, with 14.4 total hours of flight time. Over the course of these flights, the team has responded to 12 different incidents – encompassing 1st Alarm Fires, brush fires, and mountain rescues.
Read more about Skydio Drones:
- Dominion Energy, Skydio Drones: BVLOS Waiver for Power Generation Facility Inspection
- Skydio and Axon Respond: Drone Live Streams for 911 Operators
- Skydio Youth Fly Day: Inspiring the Next Generation of Women Pilots and Engineers
- Skydio Drones for Public Safety: A DRONELIFE Exclusive Interview with Fritz Reber
- Optelos and Skydio Partner for Autonomous Asset Inspection: Autonomous Drones and Visual Data Management
Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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