West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) have adopted innovative technologies to help them tackle wildfires more efficiently. WYFRS is successfully leveraging all-terrain vehicles to combat the increasingly dangerous threat of wildfires. These annual fires, increasingly exacerbated by climate change, including hotter temperatures and altered weather patterns, are devastating. The partnership leverages innovative mapping technology and weather prediction apps. By better forecasting fire behavior, these technologies allow communities to develop better mitigation and response strategies in advance.
WYFRS is committed to helping its firefighters through long duration events. They’ve even brought new lightweight personal protective equipment to bear, purpose built for wildfire conditions. This cutting-edge equipment not only improves safety for firefighters but improves their mobility to help them do their job with greater effectiveness in extreme environments.
Dr. Kamran Mahroof, who is part of the research team from the University of Bradford, is leading efforts to create technology that allows wildfires to be detected faster. His work is at the forefront of wildfire detection. His team recently won funding through the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Action programme. This support reaffirms the crucial importance of multidisciplinary research in addressing critical global challenges.
The research was recently showcased at an event in Birmingham, where experts discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) can help mitigate various global issues, including wildfires. Dr. Mahroof emphasized the urgency of their work, stating, “Wildfires are a global phenomenon and have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years.”
Despite its proactive measures, WYFRS has not yet incorporated the specific technology developed by Dr. Mahroof’s team but is considering future collaboration. The potential partnership reflects the service’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge advancements for improved wildfire management.
Next year, Dr. Mahroof’s team will kick off a pilot test in Greece. Beyond the 6G-VERSUS research project, this initiative follows the trend of Networks as a Sensor. This EU-funded project will research how 6G technology can be integrated into wildfire detection and response plans. Dr. Mahroof elaborated on the project’s goals, stating, “The whole idea for us is to identify wildfires as soon as possible.”
Furthermore, he highlighted the tools being utilized in the project: “We are using the latest technologies out there – the likes of 6G, drones and, dare I say it, robotic dogs to identify where the likelihood is for a fire to take place and for us to mitigate this as soon as possible.”