Hamilton Emergency Services will be buying a drone for use in search and rescue operations.
Deputy Fire Chief John Verbeek says the purchase has been made possible by a $25,470 donation from the Firehouse Subs Safety Foundation.
Verbeek tells the city’s emergency and community services committee that drone technology will be of great assistance to the fire department, particularly when it responds to trail systems and waterfalls across Hamilton.
He says many of those calls come in at night time, and the “use of drone technology with thermal imaging will assist firefighters with locating victims.”
A second foundation grant of $19,750 will fund the purchase of 2,304 smoke alarms.
The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was created in 2005 with the mission of providing funding, lifesaving equipment, and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations.
The grants have been awarded as part of First Responders Month.