Westridge Trailhead in Brentwood on November 4 at 12 p.m.
By Sam Catanzaro
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) will present an in-person exhibition of fire drone technology–used to combat fires and identify any governmental or residential parcels that are in violation of brush fire regulations–at the Westridge Trailhead in Brentwood on November 4 at 12 p.m.
Last year, the LAFD began using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drones, to improve its brush clearance inspections, which annually inspects over 145,000 parcels.
“Drones are useful in conducting inspections in hard-to-reach areas that are either locked in by other properties or inaccessible due to rough terrain,” the LAFD said.
In June of 2021, the LAFD received City approval to expand its drone program to survey residential areas in high-fire severity zones.
“Drones can now be used to identify any governmental or residential parcels that are in violation of brush fire regulations or parcels that do not have an ideal defensible space for brush fires,” the LAFD said.
The LAFD’s UAS has also been beta testing a new type of drone system that tethers to a command vehicle or mobile console. When equipped with high-definition cameras, thermal (heat) imaging, gas monitoring sensors, and other tools, these drones give incident commanders real-time data for improved situational analysis and decision making. According to the LAFD, this system allows operators to live stream mission-critical aerial views without the need for flight authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration, as currently required for all standard UAS drone flights.
