By Kirk McKinzie and Manon Vermenouze
Robots are gaining international popularity among emergency response agencies, with the use of robots in the fire and rescue industry becoming increasingly common, offering a host of potential benefits to personnel and departments alike.
With the ability to lighten physical loads, reduce injury and illness, and increase efficiency and workload endurance, these machines can significantly impact the safety and success of firefighting operations while minimizing toxic, thermal, and collapse exposure. Rather than reduce the need for current staffing levels, robots provide new landscape needs in training, skills, and recruitment.
Several challenges are associated with adopting robotic technologies in this field. Many firefighters and other first responders may resist relying on machines to perform critical tasks based on tradition and hard-earned qualifications. Technical capability is also a concern, as not all personnel may have been trained or equipped to operate and maintain these machines.
Additional obstacles include budgetary and space restrictions, as the cost of acquiring and maintaining robotics systems can be prohibitive for some departments, particularly those operating on limited resources. In addition, the size and weight of some of these machines can make them difficult to store and transport, particularly in urban environments where apparatus and station space are at a premium. Various grant opportunities exist, including the Department of Homeland Security—Urban Area Security Initiatives, and can be helpful in the acquisition process for forward-leaning agencies.
Although some of the first robots that came out of the laboratories were marginally well adapted to the field, new generations of robots have been created considering operational aspects essential to fire and rescue operations. Robotics developers have considered these challenges, developing intuitive driving systems that can include machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI), with a low center of gravity and sturdy footprint, and have the advantage of being cost-effective additions to the “fleet.” Better yet, these robots can now accomplish several missions: controlling fires, evacuating patients, transporting materials, and inspection and recognition thanks to multisensor fusion, thus maximizing their use.
Today, robots’ value to the fire and rescue industry is undeniable. By reducing physical strain on firefighters and allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively, these machines can help save lives, protect property, and support first responders in mission-critical operations. Numerous countries have chosen to be equipped, especially in Europe and Asia. Iconic images from April 15, 2019, depict the Shark Robotics “Colossus” assisting the firefighters of Paris during an extended fire attack in the cathedral Notre Dame de Paris. On an ever-increasing basis, robots are for hazmat responses, warehouse fires, industrial fires, and car park incidents. In France alone, more than 20 are used, including the Paris subway tunnels. In Marseille, France, firefighters’ average annual use of robots accounts for more than 80 deployments. “There is a double interest in the use of robots: to keep the firefighter safe and to make them (sic) more powerful, fast, and enduring,” says Lieutenant Jérémie, head of the Louvain Fire and Rescue Center and also head of the robotic support operational team of the Marseille Marine Fire Brigade.
Several agencies in the United States have begun using robotics (airborne and terrestrial), with the Fire Department of New York first deploying a tethered unmanned aerial system at a four-alarm fire in the Bronx in 2017 and adding two Robot “dogs” in 2022. The FDNY Robotics Unit recently received the Public Safety award at the Annual Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Conference. The unit has 20 members consisting of 15 firefighters and five officers, initially responding with a maximum of four members: an officer, pilot, visual observer, and data specialist. For third alarm and greater incidents, an additional officer will be called to act as an “Air Boss.” In 2022, the FDNY Robotics Unit had 1,947 flights, 791 of which were for emergencies.
The Los Angeles City (CA) Fire Department has recently deployed both airborne and terrestrial drones, with some of the benefits being covered in a recent international Webcast, “Fighting Wildfires with Intelligent Robots.” The International Technology Union and the United Nations AI for Good team hosted the event to support adjacent sustainable development goals.
With many career and volunteer agencies challenged to attract sufficient new talent to the fire department, many entering the workforce are interested in Next Gen solution sets. The adoption of robotic technologies in this field may also encourage the recruitment of a new generation of digital native employees who are comfortable working with advanced technologies and are eager to leverage them to improve public safety.
Safety is also synonymous with modernity, and advances in robotics and AI can be a source of the common good. By intervening as closely as possible to the danger, these new tools also make it possible to meet the challenges of preserving water and protecting the planet by limiting pollution while meeting the unique challenges of the fluidity impacting the wildland urban interface and the increasing complexity of responses, such as lithium-ion battery fires.
As the fire and rescue robotics market continues to grow, it will be necessary for departments to carefully consider their options and develop effective strategies for incorporating these technologies into their operations. This may involve investing in specialized training programs for personnel, developing protocols for the safe and effective use of these machines, and working closely with manufacturers to ensure their systems are compatible with existing equipment and infrastructure. At the same time, robot manufacturers and those who use them will be looking forward to ever-advancing hardware and software capability stacks incorporating thermal imaging, live 360° videos, 3D mapping, mesh networking, and GIS-enabled solutions.
Ultimately, successfully integrating robotics in the fire and rescue industry will require a collaborative approach, with manufacturers, departments, and personnel working together to ensure that these technologies are deployed to maximize their potential and minimize their unintended consequential impact on existing operations. With careful planning and implementation, the robotic technology benefits will be harnessed to improve firefighting safety and effectiveness for years to come.
References
1.https://aiforgood.itu.int/robotics-and-ai-to-predict-and-fight-wildfires/.
2. https://spectrum.ieee.org/colossus-the-firefighting-robot-that-helped-save-notre-dame.
4. https://www.homelandsecuritygrants.info/.
5. https://dronelife.com/2023/03/14/the-fdny-drone-program-pilots-talk-training-challenges-and-changes/.
KIRK McKINZIE is a captain (ret.) with the Cosumnes Fire Department, Elk Grove, California; a 911-GO concept developer; and president of MCKINZIE SMART TECHNOLOGIES.
MANON VERMENOUZE is the director of external affairs for Shark Robotics, a French company specializing in safety robots.
