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Opinion

Janik: Our Scottsdale Fire Department rocks

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The wild fire danger in Scottsdale has reached a decade high.

The extremely dry weather and absence of a monsoon has extended the fire season.

Scottsdale is particularly vulnerable to brush fires because of our cherished open space and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

The Scottsdale Fire Department has developed two new programs to face the challenge.

READ: Officials attempt to mitigate Scottsdale brush fires as flames reach 10-year high

First they have determined that many of the fires are the result of residential construction.

Using a newly formulated checklist loaded onto an iPad they can perform an onsite safety inspection of a construction site. The compiled information is then converted into a list of required safety procedures for the property owner.

This simple technique has reduced the risk of a fire.

Second the Scottsdale Fire Department has recognized that drones can be useful in assisting in fire and non-fire emergencies. After several months of training, they officially unveiled the drone program this week.

The drones are equipped with heat sensors and cameras that provide a 360 degree aerial view. The implications for finding lost hikers, dropping emergency supplies until help arrives, locating fires, determining the direction and terrain the fire is approaching, directing on the ground fire-fighting operations, and adding an element of safety for the fire fighters, are obvious.

Bravo to the department for thinking creatively.

With thanks and gratitude to the Scottsdale Fire Department.

Editor’s Note: Betty Janik is a candidate for Scottsdale City Council in the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.