Research on the Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Firefighting and Rescue Missions by Fire and Rescue Teams

[Abstract]

Fire accidents pose a serious threat to people’s lives and property. Traditional fire rescue methods have many limitations in information collection, operational safety, and command and dispatch. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with their flexible mobility, remote control capabilities, and multi-functional payload, have shown broad application prospects in fire fighting and emergency rescue. This paper discusses the practical application of UAVs in fire fighting and rescue missions, analyzes the shortcomings of traditional fire rescue models, focuses on the main roles of UAVs in fire reconnaissance, fire suppression, personnel search and rescue, and command decision-making, and explores the future development trends of UAV firefighting applications, aiming to provide useful references for improving fire rescue efficiency and operational safety.

[Keywords]

Fire rescue team | Fire rescue | UAV | Fire monitoring | Intelligent control

With the rapid development of modern society and the accelerating urbanization process, high-rise buildings, complex industrial facilities, and densely populated residential areas are increasing, bringing unprecedented challenges to fire fighting and rescue work. Fire rescue missions in special scenarios such as high-rise buildings, hazardous chemical storage areas, and enclosed spaces are extremely complex. Firefighters face dangers such as high temperatures, toxic gases, and structural collapses during missions, making rescue operations extremely risky. Traditional fire rescue methods primarily rely on ground-based operations, which have limitations in information perception, personnel safety, and operational efficiency. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has continuously developed and is widely used in surveying, security, agriculture, and other fields. It possesses multiple functions such as remote monitoring, precise delivery, and intelligent patrol, making it suitable for fire reconnaissance, firefighting operations, and emergency command in rescue scenarios.

I. Application Needs of UAVs in Firefighting and Rescue Teams

(I) Limitations of Traditional Fire Rescue Modes

The fire scene environment is highly uncertain. High temperatures, dense smoke, and toxic gases severely interfere with visibility and judgment, hindering information transmission and limiting decision-making and operational efficiency. Fire rescue in special environments such as high-rise buildings, enclosed spaces, and chemical plants carries potential dangers such as collapse and explosions, posing a high risk to firefighters’ lives and making rescue operations extremely difficult. Firefighting equipment and rescue tools have limitations in complex environments. Ground-based firefighting devices cannot quickly cover large areas, and aerial ladder trucks are limited by physical height and space, making some fire scenes difficult to approach directly, thus making fire reconnaissance and the search and rescue of trapped personnel even more challenging. Command and dispatch rely on traditional communication methods, resulting in low real-time and accuracy of information transmission. This hinders the rapid adjustment of firefighting strategies, reduces coordination in rescue operations, makes it difficult to achieve rational resource allocation, and restricts overall operational effectiveness.

(II) Advantages of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technology in Fire and Rescue

UAV technology has broad application prospects in the firefighting field, and can greatly improve rescue efficiency and safety. UAVs possess characteristics such as remote control, rapid deployment, and high mobility. In fire environments, they can acquire high-precision images, temperature data, air composition, and other multi-dimensional information, providing precise support for command and decision-making. High-altitude reconnaissance capabilities can expand the field of vision, enabling firefighters to accurately locate the fire source, combustion intensity, and direction of fire spread, providing a scientific basis for firefighting plan formulation. Complex terrain and high-rise building fire rescue missions place higher demands on operational flexibility. UAVs can enter narrow spaces and high-temperature areas to perform operations, reducing the need for firefighters to enter dangerous environments, thereby reducing the risk of casualties. In low-visibility environments such as nighttime or dense smoke, firefighters can utilize advanced sensing technologies onboard drones, such as infrared thermal imaging and lidar, to enhance detection capabilities, enabling fire source location, target search, and precise firefighting operations. Compared to traditional methods, integrating drones into fire and rescue operations provides a cost-effective solution. Drones require minimal human operation and can effectively cover large areas, thereby reducing the need for significant ground resources.

II. Main Applications of Drones in Firefighting and Rescue

(I) On-site Reconnaissance and Fire Monitoring

1. Thermal Imaging Technology for Fire Source Detection

Firefighters can use the thermal imaging equipment carried by drones to identify fire sources, accurately obtaining the distribution of high-temperature areas within the fire scene even in dense smoke or at night. Firefighters can use thermal imaging data to analyze the temperature gradient of the fire scene, determine the heating status of building structures, and identify potential collapse points. The remote control capability of drones allows firefighters to collect critical thermal imaging information in safe areas, providing data support for optimizing firefighting tactics. During forest fire emergency rescue, firefighters can use drone thermal imaging systems to detect high-temperature points on the ground, quickly determine the fire source, improve the efficiency of extinguishing the fire, and prevent further fire spread.

2. Visible Light and Multispectral Imaging Analysis

Firefighters can use the visible light camera system carried by drones to record the development of the fire scene, track the fire spread trajectory in real time, and provide clear image data for formulating firefighting plans. The high-altitude operational capabilities of drones enable firefighters to comprehensively grasp the situation at a fire scene, assess the extent of building damage, and analyze the threat posed by the fire to the surrounding environment, thereby rationally allocating firefighting resources. By using multispectral imaging equipment onboard drones to analyze the spectral characteristics of burning materials, firefighters can assess the composition of smoke and identify areas of harmful gas diffusion. Multispectral imaging technology can help firefighters distinguish between the core burning area and unburned but heated parts, preventing misjudgment of firefighting priorities and improving firefighting accuracy. In forest fire emergency response, firefighters can use drone multispectral detection technology to assess surface vegetation moisture and predict the direction of fire spread, providing a reliable basis for developing fire prevention and isolation strategies.

3. Three-Dimensional Modeling and Fire Prediction In modern fire and rescue operations, drone platforms, with their multi-dimensional aerial monitoring advantages, construct a three-dimensional fire situation assessment system. Through the collaborative operation of multispectral imaging equipment and lidar, rescue personnel can obtain real-time thermal distribution maps and structural deformation data of building facades, thereby generating three-dimensional spatial models of the buildings. This technology system can accurately identify the temperature gradient changes of load-bearing components exposed to fire, providing mechanical parameter support for assessing the risk of building collapse. Compared to traditional manual reconnaissance, this non-contact reconnaissance mode allows the command center to complete situational modeling of a 2-square-kilometer area within 15 minutes, significantly improving the timeliness of disaster assessment. In terms of fire dynamics analysis, a swarm of drones equipped with meteorological sensors can construct a three-dimensional environmental monitoring network. The real-time transmitted airflow vector data, processed by fluid dynamics algorithms, can simulate the fire spread trend under different ventilation conditions. For forest fire scenarios, the drone remote sensing system, through multi-temporal image comparison technology combined with terrain elevation models and historical fire databases, can automatically generate firebreak deployment plans using intelligent algorithms, achieving a 42% improvement in path planning accuracy compared to traditional manual calculations.

(II) Firefighting Assistance

1. Application of Airborne Firefighting Devices

Firefighters can use drones to carry airborne fire extinguishing bombs to precisely deliver extinguishing agents for rapid cooling of high-temperature areas. The remote control capability of drones allows firefighters to select the optimal delivery location based on the fire situation, improving the accuracy of firefighting operations. Firefighters can use drones equipped with miniature water mist sprayers to control initial fires, especially suitable for confined spaces or high-temperature areas. Drones can penetrate deep into the fire area to continuously spray extinguishing agents. Dry powder extinguishing systems on drones can be used to extinguish oil and chemical fires, avoiding direct personnel entry into high-risk environments. The stable hovering capability of drones allows firefighters to accurately spray extinguishing agents from high altitudes, completely covering the fire source and reducing the risk of secondary explosions.

2. High-Rise Building Firefighting Support

Firefighters can use drones equipped with high-pressure water cannons to precisely extinguish fires in high-rise buildings, especially in areas inaccessible to aerial ladder trucks. Drones can directly target specific floors, accurately spraying water jets to the fire source, improving the efficiency of firefighting operations. Using the drone’s thermal imaging camera to detect the distribution of fire sources inside high-rise buildings, firefighters can quickly locate the ignition point and, combined with onboard firefighting equipment, precisely extinguish key areas. The drone’s immediate response capability allows firefighters to quickly take firefighting measures in the early stages of a fire, reducing the possibility of the fire spreading to other floors. In addition, firefighters can use drones equipped with window-breaking devices to clear windows in high-rise buildings, providing a channel for smoke to escape and reducing the threat of dense smoke to rescuers and trapped individuals.

3. Forest Fire Emergency Firefighting and Patrol Monitoring

Firefighters can use drones equipped with fire extinguishing bombs to precisely target small fire spots in forest fires, quickly controlling the fire in its early stages. The high-efficiency fire extinguishing agent spraying system on drones can create firebreaks in flammable areas of the forest, preventing the flames from spreading. The low-altitude flight capability of drones allows firefighters to conduct precise firefighting operations in complex environments such as mountains and dense forests, reducing the ecological damage caused by forest fires. Firefighters can use the thermal imaging and multispectral imaging equipment on drones to monitor forest fires around the clock, collect real-time surface temperature data, identify areas where reignition may occur in advance, reduce manual patrol time, and improve forest fire early warning capabilities.

(III) Life Search and Rescue Support

1. Target Identification and Survivor Search and Rescue

Firefighters can use the infrared thermal imaging equipment on drones to quickly locate trapped individuals at the fire scene, accurately locating the heat emitted by the human body even in smoke-filled or nighttime conditions. 1. Drones: Drones utilize intelligent target recognition systems to analyze dynamic images within a fire scene, identifying whether people are trapped inside buildings. Real-time image transmission from drones allows commanders to remotely analyze the fire situation from the command center, providing precise data for developing scientific rescue routes. The miniaturized design of drones enables them to penetrate complex environments, such as narrow passages or collapsed building areas, achieving precise search and rescue, reducing manual search time, and increasing the success rate of rescues. Drone-mounted speaker systems provide guidance to victims, conveying rescue information, helping them remain calm, indicating escape routes, or indicating when to await further rescue, reducing additional risks and improving the safety of search and rescue operations.

2. Drones and Ground Robots Working Together: Firefighters can use the high-altitude reconnaissance capabilities of drones to provide ground robots with real-time fire scene imagery data, enabling robots to accurately enter disaster areas to perform firefighting, reconnaissance, or search and rescue tasks. Using drones’ thermal imaging equipment to monitor temperature changes in the fire scene helps develop safe movement paths for ground robots, preventing robots from being damaged by high temperatures or accidentally entering dangerous areas, thus hindering the rescue process. Firefighters can utilize the lighting systems on drones to provide light sources in low-visibility fire environments at night, assisting ground robots in search and firefighting tasks, enabling robots to maintain correct orientation in complex environments, and improving the efficiency of collaborative operations.

3. Emergency Supplies Delivery and Rescue Route Survey

Firefighters can use the supply delivery devices on drones to transport urgently needed supplies, such as oxygen cylinders, first-aid medicines, and communication equipment, to trapped personnel, increasing their chances of survival. With the aerial photography capabilities of drones, firefighters can conduct real-time reconnaissance of road conditions within the fire scene, assess building collapse, and analyze feasible rescue routes. Firefighters can obtain a comprehensive view of the fire scene, intuitively understand structural changes in the affected area, and provide reliable data support for developing scientific rescue strategies. Using the air detection sensors on drones, the distribution of harmful gases in the fire scene environment can be analyzed to determine whether there are leaks of flammable or toxic gases, providing rescue personnel with information on safe passage.

(IV) Fire Command and Decision Support

1. Drone Data Fusion and Command Dispatch

Multiple types of sensors on drones can collect environmental information such as temperature, humidity, wind direction, and smoke concentration at the fire scene. Firefighters can use drones’ high-definition cameras to record a panoramic view of the fire scene and combine this with thermal imaging data to assess the distribution of fire sources and accurately identify high-temperature hazard areas. Drones possess comprehensive data processing capabilities, allowing firefighters to integrate information from multiple sources, improving the rationality of firefighting resource allocation and providing data support for developing effective firefighting strategies. Firefighters can also use the drone’s onboard precise positioning system to mark key areas of the fire scene and synchronize this information to other rescue forces via cloud sharing. The drone’s intelligent data analysis capabilities enable firefighters to efficiently grasp the fire situation, improving the accuracy of command and dispatch and the timeliness of decision-making.

2. AI Intelligent Analysis and Situation Assessment Firefighters can use the AI ​​intelligent analysis system onboard drones to automatically identify fire sources, burning areas, and the direction of fire spread in video data. The drone’s deep learning algorithms enable firefighters to extract key information from complex fire environments, reducing the burden of manual analysis and improving command and decision-making efficiency. Firefighters can use the drone’s data analysis capabilities to compare historical data from the fire scene, predict possible fire spread trends, and generate optimal firefighting plans. The intelligent computing capabilities of drones enable firefighters to adjust their firefighting strategies in real time based on changes in the fire scene environment, reducing fire losses and improving firefighting efficiency. Firefighters can utilize the drones’ intelligent identification capabilities to monitor for potential trapped individuals within the fire scene, and combine this with AI analysis to optimize search and rescue routes, flexibly adjusting search and rescue operations to improve the efficiency and safety of rescue missions.

3. Multi-Platform Collaborative Operation System

Firefighters can utilize the drone’s data sharing system to establish information linkages with ground command vehicles, satellite communication platforms, and firefighting robots, constructing a multi-level rescue command network. The drone’s remote communication module connects to intelligent firefighting equipment, enabling collaborative operations between firefighting drones, reconnaissance drones, and logistics drones. The drone’s task allocation system allows firefighters to flexibly adjust the operating range of various equipment according to fire scene needs, improving the execution effectiveness of firefighting and rescue. Applying the intelligent data fusion system onboard the drones, integrating data from ground sensors, unmanned fire trucks, and fire monitors, a complete digital model of the fire scene can be constructed, enabling firefighters to formulate optimal firefighting plans in a short time, improving the accuracy and operational effectiveness of the entire rescue operation.

III. Future Development Directions of Drone Applications in Fire Brigades (Fire and Rescue Teams)

Firefighters require drones with long-duration operational capabilities for fire scene reconnaissance, firefighting support, and life search and rescue missions. Therefore, endurance is crucial to the effectiveness of drones in complex rescue environments. Breakthroughs in high-energy-density battery technology can extend drone flight time, enabling them to continuously provide critical information support at fire scenes. The combination of hydrogen fuel cells and solar charging systems can improve the energy efficiency of drones, reducing mission interruptions due to battery depletion. Firefighters need drones to perform autonomous situational analysis and provide decision-making assistance in extreme environments. The development of artificial intelligence technology will significantly enhance the data processing capabilities and mission execution levels of drones. Advances in intelligent flight control systems will reduce reliance on human intervention, enabling drones to maintain stable operation in harsh environments and dynamically adjust flight paths according to changes in fire conditions, further improving the level of automation in operations. Firefighters require the coordinated operation of multiple devices during rescue operations. The deep integration of drones with ground robots, fire monitors, and intelligent fire extinguishing systems will further improve the operational efficiency of rescue operations. The coordinated cooperation between drones and fire trucks can optimize fire scene water supply plans, allowing drones to accurately guide fire hoses from the air to extinguish fires. The combination of drones and rescue robots can be used for various tasks such as remote reconnaissance, searching for trapped personnel, and emergency material delivery, enhancing the flexibility and safety of rescue operations.

IV. Conclusion

Firefighters often face challenges such as rapid fire spread, complex on-site environments, and limited information transmission when carrying out firefighting and rescue missions. Integrating drones into firefighting and rescue operations represents a significant advancement in emergency response capabilities, providing new solutions for firefighting and rescue work and promoting the development of firefighting and rescue towards efficiency and intelligence. Fire command centers should fully utilize the real-time reconnaissance data provided by drones to formulate precise firefighting plans, while rescue teams should master drone operation and data analysis capabilities to enhance the application value of drones in actual rescue operations. In the future, the deep integration of intelligent drones with various firefighting equipment will promote the construction of a smart firefighting system, providing stronger technical support for urban safety and emergency response.