From fires to car crashes to missing people, Poudre Fire Authority is ramping up its use of a high-tech tool to assist in investigations: drones.
Poudre Fire Authority’s drone team formed nine years ago and has doubled in size and budget in the last year, giving firefighters more access to the technology in emergency investigations.
The department now has five drones and an annual budget of $15,000, spokesperson Annie Bierbower said. The 16-person team is spread out in the department and flew about 20 to 25 missions to assist with emergency situations last year.
It’s a lot of work to get certified to fly a drone, Capt. Andy Russel said, with the process similar to someone receiving their pilot’s license.
The team works with a variety of drones. Two of them are special operations drones, with enhanced capabilities to investigate swift-water search and rescues — like if someone falls out of their tube or kayak on the Poudre River — and search and rescue operations in mountainous areas, Russel said. The special operations drones are more durable and have more specialized flight and camera capabilities, allowing them to operate more effectively in difficult terrain. Those drones are stationed with the north and south battalions so they can more easily deploy citywide.