After many years of being tools used by military, drones have become very popular among commercial uses and public safety. One of the area of application where drones could have a big impact is firefighting. The report studies how drones could become an asset for Falck Fire Services by studying different aspects that influence the implementation of this technology.
Research is built with the help of qualitative semi-structured interviews that are conducted either face-to-face or via email with several decision makers within Falck Fire Services. In this way it is highlighted experts’ opinion within firefighting sector on the current stage of implementation of drones, benefits, possible usage, limitations and future prospects. In addition, it was found necessary to analyze the current stage of legislative developments within several countries within the EU and to identify if there are any drones that are capable of meeting the requirements for firefighting purposes.
The report ends with a schematic analysis of the potential usage of drones in different stages of the emergency management cycle, followed by a Bow-Tie model that identifies causes, consequences and barriers for the risk of the drone crashing. This report offers insights in drone technology, legislation on drones, firefighting activities and risks. It encourages future research within the scope of safely introducing drones into firefighting activities or other area of application.