Sunday, January 18, 2015

Fire protection district going higher tech, Menlo Park


The Almanac News/Dave Boyce, 1/14/15.  "Menlo Park fire district to train six teams to use camera-equipped drone. Fire chief reports on policies for using this new surveillance tool. "
Phantom 2 Vision+
May need several spare drones,
and will need batteries
 
" If you're flying a remote-control plastic helicopter, even one with four rotors, one thing you probably want to avoid is flying too close to a fire on the ground. Heat rises, and fierce heat, such as that from a flaming house or tree, probably rises fiercely.
 
....  The Menlo Park Fire Protection district is moving closer to buying a four-rotor camera-equipped drone, a plan first reported by the Almanac in October.  .... Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman and Division Chief Frank Fraone recently reported to the fire district Board of Directors on the implications for the district in obtaining and using this device for airborne observation of a fire or a search-and-rescue operation. 

   ...."... The district will start out with a loaner equipped with a thermal-image camera. The vendor is partnering with the Menlo Park district, and the district is finding itself a leader in pioneering the use of drones in fighting fires",  Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said.  ....  While the district is cooperative with law enforcement, there are limits, he said. The drone will not be available for anything not within the firefighting/paramedic realm...  .... If a drone were to overfly a patch of marijuana, however, the police would be told, he said. "It's not as if we're going to turn a blind eye to blatant criminal activity."  Read article.

Reference consideration -  DJI Phantom 2 Vision+Quadcopter drone, DJI/Phantom store, $1,299, or try Amazon. "Tested:..", learn to fly it conversation, you tube, 24:04 minutes.   Note 2 Vision+Quadcopter drone photograph from the DJI store (needs software, and batteries).

Posted by Kathy Meeh

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