Southern Marin fire district to introduce drone program for emergency operations

When a massive mudslide swept a house with a woman inside down a steep hill in Sausalito last February, first responders from the Southern Marin Fire Protection District had a hard time safely navigating the site and searching for additional victims — until another agency arrived and deployed a drone. Using the unmanned aircraft system, which was equipped with a camera, they were able to see where there was unstable debris in the slide site and avoid gasoline-soaked areas from cars that had tumbled down the hillside. Now, Southern Marin fire plans to deploy drones of its own in emergency situations.

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