TU, Tiffin Fire test firefighting technique

TIFFIN—Tiffin University's Drone Academy and Tiffin Fire Department experimented Thursday with a chemical extinguisher deployed from a drone. According to Dr. John Schupp, the experiment was to showcase the use of drones in putting out fires in situations where firefighters may be at risk fighting the fire in person. The experiment took place in a gravel parking lot behind the Hertzler Technology Center building. Schupp said the act of piloting the drone is not difficult; this puts the operator at a safe distance. However, explosions of flashovers from the fire into the drone's airspace can be a risk to the drone itself. The drone used in Thursday's demonstration was a DJI Matrice M-30, which costs approximately $16,000. On the drone's underside, an FT30-P payload drop system was installed by the Drone Academy; this is how the fire extinguisher balls are connected to and released. The experiment consisted of lighting a small fire inside of a dumpster (provided to the university free of charge by Danners Towing & Recycling), letting the fire grow for a short period, and then attempting to drop a fire extinguisher ball into the fire, suffocating the flames by removing the oxygen and thus extinguishing the fire. The dumpster was filled with dry straw, pallets, and other items one might find in a barn or shed. Before piloting the drone, the fire extinguisher ball is attached to the payload system and then may slowly begin to take flight. Once the extinguisher has been touching the flame for 3-5 seconds or reaches 70 degrees Celsius, a fuse is triggered, which then expels the foam shell, and a powder drying device is deployed. Operating the drone was Bruce Chambers, or as his students know him, "The DroneFather." Due to wind and other outside factors, and after four separate attempts, the fire was still burning hot. Thus, the experiment was concluded with the Director of the academy, Owen Fritz, saying more testing is definitely needed to make this a reliable and effective firefighting method. This does not mean drones are completely useless when aiding first responders, as the Tiffin Fire/Rescue Division has previously completed training with the Drone Academy in 2022, utilizing one of their drone's Thermal Imaging Cameras. Schupp was asked if this was something to expect more within the firefighting profession, he said, "Especially in forest fires and crop fires. Drones can be used to spot and extinguish the hot spots while directing the firefighters to an accurate location of the fire." Schupp continued, "It can also be used with structure fires to communicate with those trapped on upper floors to see how many people are needed to be rescued, versus waiting until the firefighters reach them by ladder." Schupp went on to share some of the other practicalities of drones, saying: "Good drone skills can enhance many other occupations; first responders (as described earlier), agriculture (spraying of crops, planting of crops, and crop management- looking for slow growth areas), real estate- easier to market the parcels of land by drone than in person, railroads (allows for operators to find problems on the tracks/train BEFORE they happen (East Palestine)), Insurance agents-surveying property damage from ANY source (Tornado, flood, hurricane, drought), news reporters- easier to show footage of potentially dangerous situations without putting the reporters in harm's way- and of course, the military." The Academy, which opened last year, has been designated to participate in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and allows the Academy and University to collaborate with the FAA, to provide aid to students pursuing a career in drone aviation. Currently, the Drone Academy at Tiffin University offers three courses: Drone Photography, Drone Operations and Advanced Drone Operations. The University also has plans to establish a minor in UAS that will be available to all undergraduate seated students, regardless of their major. For more information, visit contact the academy at droneacademy@tiffin.edu.