The Colvill fire brigade receives a new drone for the search and rescue

The Volunteer Fire Department (CovfD) Colvill Area has a new high-tech tool for search and rescue and other first response efforts. It is a DJI -Matrize drone that was donated by a resident who previously used the drone in connection with its agricultural land in North Dakota.

The department also bought an infrared camera system for the drone to support fire fighting and rescue and rescue processes.

The fire chief of Colvill, Frank Newman, was motivated to acquire the infrared camera after seeing a similar system with which a missing child was lost in a corn field in Wisconsin.

“They found them at night because of a thermal camera and said they might not have survived the night because it was so cold,” said Newman. “The department agreed that if we have a drone, we should do the same.”

Jordan Ekroot is a volunteer at the CAVFD and the only licensed drone pilot among the 10 fire departments of Cook County to the best of knowledge.

“When I have a line of sight, it can achieve about four miles,” said Ekroot. “So you can essentially cover 16 square miles if you have a perfect line of sight.”

The 4K camera of the drone can overlap to the infrared image, for example to better distinguish between a dog and a person.

“If you look at a vehicle accident and a tanker involved, the thermal picture would catch the level of the liquid in the tank,” said Ekroot. “The 4K image overlaid that takes up the posters and you could get a clear view of what is in the tank.”

Chef Newman sees other applications for increasing fire security with the drone, such as the latest laundry salon in Grand Marais. “We could have flyed to look for hot spots so that firefighters don't have to get too close,” said Newman.

“Security will increase because nobody has to go in to try these things,” said Newman.