Carlow Fire Service to deploy drones for emergency response
The drones will be launched at 3pm on 7 November at Carlow Fire Station.
CARLOW County Fire & Rescue Service will officially launch a new fleet of thermal imaging drones this Friday.
The drones will be launched at 3pm on 7 November at Carlow Fire Station by cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, cllr Ken Murnane.
The thermal imaging technology allows the drones’ cameras to detect heat signatures, which will prove invaluable across the range of emergencies the service attends. Operating from stations in Carlow Town, Bagenalstown, Tullow and Hacketstown, the fire service provides 24/7 coverage for incidents including building fires, vehicle fires, gorse and forestry fires, road traffic collisions, river rescues and major emergencies.
“The introduction of drones to our operational equipment emphasises our continued commitment to embracing innovation and the latest technology to provide County Carlow with highest standard response,” said acting chief fire officer Ben Woodhouse.
“We are looking forward to our Fire Crews using the drones, gathering as much information as possible, and getting a greater operational overview of a situation to support their decision making on the fire ground.”
The thermal imaging capability will enable fire crews to identify heat sources at large building fires and gorse and forestry fires. The same technology is currently used by the Irish Coast Guard and Civil Defence in search and rescue operations, and could prove crucial in locating missing persons in difficult terrain or along the River Barrow and River Slaney, both of which flow through County Carlow.
Following severe weather events such as storms, flooding and snow, the drones can be rapidly deployed to scan large areas quickly, ensuring resources are directed where most needed.
However, the fire service has issued a reminder to the public about drone safety. Assistant chief fire officer Ryan Lally warned that unauthorised drone use near emergency incidents can interfere with operations and may prevent the fire service from safely deploying their own drones. It could also impact the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter, Gardaí and Defence Forces firefighting helicopters, whose support is often relied upon at major incidents.
