The first ‘firefighting robots’ to reach UK shores are being trialled in several fire and rescue services.
West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service announced that they were testing new robots in July 2023, while the service in Kent added a robot to their equipment this January.
It will be sent to large and complex fires, such as at industrial and commercial sites, where it will be remotely operated to gather video and thermal imaging to identify fire hotspots. It also has a hose attachment for firefighting, audio for communicating instructions, and can pull a stretcher.
Kent’s technical rescue team say that the robot will be able to collect intelligence to feed back to crews while they are at a safe distance from a fire, with the aim of improving firefighter safety.
Robots have been used by fire and rescue services in various forms for the past forty years, with varying degrees of capabilities and success.
Downsides include a hefty price tag, with a representative of manufacturer Shark Robotics stating that their robots can cost up to £160,000.
The FBU continues to call for investment in frontline firefighters as a priority, with 1 in 5 firefighters lost to cuts across the UK.
