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Wylie Fire-Rescue pioneering drone use

by | Aug 15, 2018 | Latest

With four trained pilots and the required government licensing, Wylie Fire-Rescue finds itself on the cutting edge for using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in Collin County emergency response situations.

The department has two UAVs and is frequently called by police and fire departments to provide mutual aid with its equipment, supplying an airborne set of eyes and extra level of safety for officers.

“Richardson called us the other day to help at a fire, locating hotspots,” firefighter Kate Hull said.

Hull provides hardware expertise for the department’s UAV program, Fire Investigator Joe Wetzel is the software and licensing expert and Capt. Katie Willoughby has been assigned as UAV supervisor.

 

For the full story see the Aug. 15 issue or subscribe online.

 

By Joe Reavis • [email protected]

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