Drones latest Hamilton fire department recruits

Propellers whirring, the drone shifts and dips as it hovers above the burning building in Hamilton.

Acting captain Steve Clark handles the controls from afar at the corner of Gill Avenue and Carrigan Street in a downpour.

They're made to fly in all weather," Chief Dave Cunliffe says under an overhang at the fire department's training centre on the east Mountain.

The streets around the training building are named after former fire chiefs.

The flames are real, but ignited on purpose to show reporters how the department can use the high-tech, mini-aircraft to help fight fires.

The department has eight drones - two large ones and six small ones - that it plans to fly above blazes and around dangerous terrain during rope rescues.

The drones have zoomable, thermal imaging cameras that relay live information about heat levels to a small unit with a display screen.

These eyes in the sky" can help incident commanders decide where to apply water to most effectively control fires.

It will also give us the ability to get ahead of the fire if it's spreading, to try and cut it off so it doesn't increase the amount of property loss," Cunliffe said.

Last June, the department gave a large drone a test flight during a massive fire that ripped through a sprawling warehouse on Barton Street East.

The robotic flyer - officially called a remotely piloted aircraft system" - helped decide where to aim water from ladder trucks on flames in the two-storey former Mr. Used site.

I think this is going to have a tremendous impact on firefighter safety," Cunliffe said.

The drones will assist during rope rescues at waterfalls and deep gorges by scoping out the lay of the land" before firefighters take plunges.

Over a year ago, a firefighter was injured while doing a rope rescue at Albion Falls," Cunliffe said.

The drones can pinpoint" the locations of people who are lost or injured on trails. They can also probe the sites of hazardous material emergencies.

All the equipment costs about $75,000. A grant from Firehouse Subs, a sandwich chain, covered one large drone, which goes for about $25,000.

By the end of the week, 24 firefighters will have piloted nearly 1,000 flights during training to achieve their advanced-level certification.

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com