Italian fire service’s innovative use of drones honoured
The Vigili del Fuoco, has been rewarded for its use of drone technology in the rescue efforts after the earthquakes in Amatrice and Central Italy and after the avalanche that hit Hotel Rigopiano.
The Italian fire service, the Vigili del Fuoco, has been rewarded for its use of drone technology in the rescue efforts after the earthquakes in Amatrice and Central Italy and after the avalanche that hit Hotel Rigopiano.
The Roma Drone Awards 2017 have honoured the service after a difficult year. During the earthquakes in 2016, the Vigili del Fuoco used its drones to investigate damaged towns, using the data collected to assess the extent of the damage and work on plans for recovery. This in turn helped to protect the lives of the firefighters and volunteers tasked with the recovery, allowing fragile and dangerous buildings to be cordoned off before rescuers went in.
The award is to be presented to Giuseppe Romano, the director of the Vigili del Fuoco, on 21 February. The service has also been named the world’s best firefighting service due to its hard work over the last year.