Danbury Fire Department Leads the Flock When it Comes to Flying

It's really no surprise that the use of drones has recently become prominent among law enforcement agencies and other first responders. In fact, for the last year and a half, the Danbury Fire Department has been on the forefront of this specific technology.

By now, you probably have seen video footage or maybe you've even operated your own drone, so you know what they are capable of. They can give you an unbelievable view from high in the sky.

The Danbury Fire Department started using drone technology long before many other agencies put them into use. Deputy Chief and veteran fire fighter, Bernie Meehan, who's also one of two licensed drone operators at the department, said "we've been on numerous missions and they have been working great."

We've probably used drones a few dozen times so far, last year we used it successfully during a fire on Great Pasture Road when solar panels went on fire, and we've been on a bunch of search and rescues both in Tarrywile Park and assisting other towns. We are now helping Newtown and New Milford get up to speed on the technology, and Jamie Gagliardo is the lead on it.

The drones that the department use have infrared technology that allows them to see where and how the fire is spreading through the roof line. Also, they can get an overview of an emergency situation without having to send first responders into a dangerous situation. Most recently, Meehan said they were used in Bethel during a large fire a few weeks ago at the Clark Industrial Park. The department, which is very high on the technology, posted this message on Facebook this week:

Drones are the way of the future giving us vantage points that were unimaginable just a few years ago with rapid deployment technology. Our program will continue to serve the City Of Danbury for years to come.