There is an old adage in the fire service that what firefighters hate the most are “status quo” and “change!” Doesn’t leave much wiggle room, does it? Nevertheless, our guest on this episode of “5-Alarm Task Force!” Chief (ret) Charles Werner has become a specialist in new and helpful tech developments that support and enhance the efforts of the three main branches of public safety, Fire-Rescue, Lawn Enforcement and EMS.

In this episode, Chief Werner shares with us the explosive growth of the use of what we will refer to as “professional” drones. These are not the little toy drones of a decade or more ago; these are state-of-the-art drones that are being used to spot fires, victims, deliver medications, reconnaissance and much more. The organization now boasts more than 8,100 members in the U.S., Canada and numerous countries around the world. Drones can often go where humans cannot and that can mean the difference between life and death.

We also discuss the importance and capabilities of the FirstNet communication system from AT&T. This system allows you to use your cell phone to connect you to your department’s radio systems, talk groups, etc. And we talk about the emerging tech that will be able to see the three coordinates of someone, be it a civilian, firefighter or police officer in a multi-story building with the X-coordinate, Y-coordinate and the Z-coordinate. Rescuers or even a robot can then locate and find a victim and remover him/her as necessary. 

If you would like more information, please visit the website, www.DRONERESPONDERS.org.

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