Fighting fires with drones: because connectivity is essential

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Fires in the world are more and more frequent; Temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, drought is now a widespread problem and it is increasingly evident that large-scale fires, particularly in summer, are a growing threat. Fighting fires is becoming increasingly complicated and urgent.

In the United States, of the 20 most devastating fires to ever hit California, 6 occurred in 2020 . In the same year, fires in Australia consumed millions of acres of land and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property and assets. In Italy in 2021 triple the hectares of 2020 were burned and, in 40-50% of cases, the territory hit by fire was represented by woods and forests.

To counter such a dramatic scenario, it is essential that rescuers and firefighters develop new methods to detect fires and intervene promptly. Unfortunately, one of the most common consequences of a fire is the destruction of infrastructure, which prevents professionals from communicating and coordinating, hindering rescue and jeopardizing the physical safety of rescuers. Fortunately, technology already plays a key role in ensuring the safety of response teams today and will become even more crucial in the future. This advance drone technology will save you from disaster and give you a chance to enjoy online casino real money.

An example of this is the adoption by firefighters of innovative tools such as drones which, when used together with cellular connectivity, can not only help detect fires, control them and fight fires.

New technologies to detect and contain fires

Historically, the management of fires involved the use of lookout towers, airplanes, helicopters and even lookouts, to then draw up reports and intervention plans. Such an approach was effective, but today the fires are much more widespread than in the past and being able to identify the fires and put them out is much more challenging. It was found that, particularly during the summer season, the fires last on average 40 to 80 days longer than 30 years ago . Furthermore, the increase in urban settlements leads to a progressive reduction of the timeliness with which the firefighters are able to intervene and manage the emergency.

These are some of the main reasons why intervention teams today need access to modern technologies and tools, equipped with appropriate infrastructures, to support timely detection, rapid response times and optimal emergency management. Modern technology using in each sector today even in online gaming site like www.casinoclic.com/fr.

From this point of view, drones represent valuable allies in fighting fires and can be used almost anywhere, allowing rescuers to obtain instant information on the surrounding area, regardless of its extent. In addition, they are much cheaper and more sustainable than helicopters or other aircraft, have a high range and allow for greater mobility. Long-range drones, in fact, can be used to carry out surveys and collect data for 10 consecutive hours, or 3 times longer than a full tank helicopter. Thanks to the possibility of remote control, they can approach even the most dangerous contexts, providing important information to rescue teams without endangering people.

Drones and operators: the secret is in communication

 

Drones represent a fundamental help in dealing with and fighting fires and other emergencies, but it is essential that their use is accompanied by the possibility of receiving data in real time. The use of drones to monitor fires can, in fact, help to understand their characteristics and predict their developments, but it is necessary to keep in mind that natural disasters often have a destructive impact on traditional networks, hindering or preventing communications.

This is where 5G and 4G LTE cellular networks enter the scene: the installation of ruggedized mobile routers allows you to continue communicating even during the worst phases of the emergency through cellular connectivity. The use of 5G and 4G LTE technology to enable and monitor drones offers what air traffic regulatory agencies call “ beyond virtual line of site ” (BVLOS), which is being tested and implemented around the world.

To further enhance redundancy, mobile modems can be equipped with dual SIM cards. This allows to have two separate redundant networks, through which to communicate in case of unavailability of the primary infrastructure. The data collected by the drones also provide rescuers with a much higher level of safety and reliability, facilitating the organization of the intervention.

The future of technology to fight fires

In addition to the immediate benefits offered by cellular connectivity, it is also essential to look to its future, because it would make no sense to invest in devices that will soon no longer be compliant or that will not work on new infrastructures. Even if today the European Union is developing its own 5G infrastructure and gradually phasing out the 3G network, the future map of connectivity is not yet fully defined. For this, it is essential that any device adopted today is flexible and able to connect and switch from one network to another to reduce the risk of entry into an uncovered area.

The capacity and flexibility of 5G and 4G LTE cellular networks ensure drones operate smoothly, using sensors to avoid obstacles, detecting locations while providing critical information to fight fires. The same cellular network can also be used for the transmission of high-quality video, images and communications at high speed, essential for making decisions about how to respond to fires in a timely manner.

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