Firefighters use drone to map damage done by tornado
On 24 June 2021, residents in South Moravia, Czech Republic, were hit by a tornado with winds of at least 219km/h, prompting firefighters to use drones to assess the damage
The tornado left damaged homes behind and destroyed entire city quarters. When the incident was reported, firefighters were immediately dispatched – about 2,000 professional firefighters and approximately the same number of volunteer firefighters, alongside many locals and people offering help. The Fire Rescue Services of the Czech Republic deployed approximately 550 pieces of equipment at the scene. For the first time, Czech Fire Rescue Services combined DJI’s drone technology with aerial mapping GINA software.
David Jirous, Head of KOPIS (Operational and Information Centre) of South Moravia, commented: “It was something unimaginable because tornadoes are very rare in our area. Houses were destroyed, trees uprooted, and debris was left everywhere.
“Thanks to the use of drones, we have almost immediately an aerial perspective and digital map of the affected area which is distributed to the GINA app. This is accessed by firefighters in the field and the local command center for an accurate picture of the scene and location tracking. We had an up-to-date overview of the affected area, the amount of damage and the force and resource requirements. Thanks to technology we can react flexibly to altering situations in the field.”
Recently, AirMed&Rescue explored how firefighting drone technology designed to protect people and property is developing.