State-of-the-art laser technology has been added to Fire and Rescue NSW’s (FRNSW) fleet of drones to help firefighters more accurately identify bush fire threats.
Announcing the fleet’s additions, the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, Steph Cooke said the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors would help firefighters better manage fuel loads by mapping bushland density.
“This state-of-the-art technology gives our firefighters a greater understanding of the bush so during a fire they can better protect properties, and during a hazard reduction operation they can more effectively target areas with higher fuel loads,” Ms Cooke said.
Deputy Commissioner of FRNSW, Megan Stiffler said the LiDAR sensors produced precise, three-dimensional point data fully integrated with colourised red, green and blue high-resolution imagery.
Deputy Commissioner Stiffler said that during a hazard reduction operation, laser imagery collected before and after the burn would allow firefighters to accurately determine how much bushland had been treated.
She said the sensors could also be used during a flood recovery operation by helping clean-up crews target their efforts.
“The LiDAR sensors use eye-safe lasers to measure the volume of flood debris and give FRNSW a better visual of the product so we can determine what it is,” Deputy Commissioner Stiffler said.
“That information takes a lot of the guesswork out of flood recovery operations, leading to a faster and more efficient clean-up,” she said.
“This technology, which can work in any light conditions, day or night, is a real game-changer for Fire and Rescue NSW and significantly increases our aerial firefighting capabilities.”
