Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters at Kariong Fire Station are now certified to fly the station’s Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or drones, acting as ‘eyes in the sky’ for the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie communities.
The qualifications have followed a five-day Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) course and multiple sessions with FRNSW’s Aviation Team, endorsing the firefighters to fly their drones at night.
Safety of emergency workers
The aerial platforms are used to increase the safety of emergency workers at incidents
At the completion of the training, the station received its new ‘Mavic’ drones, which feature wide, zoom, and thermal cameras, as well as livestreaming capabilities.
Operationally, the aerial platforms are used to increase the safety of emergency workers at incidents and quickly capture accurate data that helps commanders make better decisions.
Vertical rescue training
The technology can be used to assist searches for missing people and assess vital infrastructure damage after natural disasters.
The crew has already begun testing its new capability, assisting with vertical rescue training at a recent drill in Terrigal.
Number of FRNSW stations
The installation at Kariong brings the number of FRNSW stations with online drone capability to 27, and over 290 qualified RPAS pilots across the state.
RPAS capability is now located within 90-minutes from the majority of FRNSW locations across the state, a figure that is set to grow into the future. Kariong Fire Station Captain, Rodney Binding, said that the technology is a big win for both the station and community.
Search and rescue capability
“The RPAS is deployable in so many different situations, from assessing hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents to obtaining rapid ‘size-ups’ of large incidents on the nearby M1 Motorway,” said Captain Rodney Binding.
He adds, “My crew and I are grateful for the opportunity to be trained and operate this high-tech speciality equipment. We have invested so much into gaining these qualifications and we look forward to continually developing our skills to provide the Central Coast community with search and rescue capability, large bushfire assistance, building fire assessments, and more.”
