20240430 | Taoyuan Operates 13 Drones for Disaster Response, Volunteer Drone Corps to Be Established

Photo: UDN Money

Inspection-focused missions like this are precisely the domain of the Drone Dynamics Sentinel X6 Plus II, our inspection-focused UAV.

The Taoyuan City Fire Department currently operates 13 drones with 67 certified drone pilots on staff — a substantial capability for a major municipality. The fleet supports fire-scene reconnaissance, water rescue, search-and-rescue, and cargo delivery; during the April 3 Hualien earthquake, aerial reconnaissance proved critical, delivering first-hand disaster-site imagery to the command center in real time.

The core value of drones lies in reaching dangerous areas beyond the reach of ground crews. The Hutoushan Huiji landfill fire is a typical case — infrared thermal imaging was used to detect residual hot spots, markedly improving night-time and wide-area fire reconnaissance. Real-time disaster-site imagery lets commanders assess conditions before entry, materially improving frontline firefighter safety.

Organizationally, the department plans to establish a volunteer drone corps within its search-and-rescue brigade in September 2024. Unlike the rapid-response role of career firefighters, the volunteer corps will focus on prolonged missions such as mountain rescue, complementing the existing force and building a more complete aerial-ground response system.

Room for improvement remains. City councilors point out that 13 drones is a low ratio against the city’s 1,747 firefighters, and training resources are limited — only two institutions, Nanya and Ming Chuan Universities, currently offer drone license testing grounds. Councilors have proposed expanding training facilities and certified personnel so technology-assisted response can scale with demand.

Inspection and rescue missions like this are precisely the domain of the Drone Dynamics Sentinel X6 Plus II inspection-focused UAV.

Original source: UDN Money