VIDEO: Firefighters with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department are using new technology to battle fires and tackle water rescues from the air: drones.
“We use it anytime we want to see a picture from above,” said Metro Fire Captain Ryan Gifford.
Metro Fire has developed its unmanned aerial vehicle program over the years, allowing them to see things they wouldn’t normally be able to see by ground.
“Allows us to fly pretty much anywhere, anytime, and get us into places that might otherwise be restricted,” Gifford said.
Gifford said the department has about a dozen pilots and 17 aircraft during the summer. Having the UAVs are especially helpful. “The UAVs have been used a lot for over-water search using thermal imaging, looking for a heat signature of a person in a relatively cool body of water is very effective,” Gifford said.