Phoenix firefighters should have new tools to deal with mountain rescues this summer. The city’s public safety subcommittee recently approved a request by the department to begin using drones. Executive Assistant Chief Scott Walker said sending a drone to find a stranded hiker could be more efficient, "Oftentimes we send crews up from all sides of the mountain to try to find that victim, this would significantly reduce the amount of impact on our firefighters hiking up and also find that person much faster." Last year, several firefighters became ill after performing mountain rescues in extreme heat. The firefighters’ union then convinced the city to ban hiking on Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak on the hottest days.