On September 13, 2018 at the North Bend Fire Station, the Medic One Foundation presented a tactical Matrice 210 drone to Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) to assist first responders with the increasing number of backcountry and waterway medical emergencies. Funding for the drone was made possible by Foundation donor Barbara Hamer and her family.
EF&R Deputy Chief Rich Burke said, “The drone will allow us to better respond to more difficult search and rescue operations which is something we need to better serve our Eastside communities.” Burke said such a drone would have been extremely helpful in a disaster like the Oso landslides, in which he was involved.
Donor Barbara Hamer explained the project is a merger of her two of my passions – emergency response and drone technology. She said, “I want our first responders to have every advantage when they come on scene to help – they deserve to return home safely to their own families as they are protecting us. This new technology will give them a hand up in so many ways as they are helping to save lives. It’s just a pleasure to be able to give back to a system that has helped my family so many times.”
According to a press release, the PRECISIONHAWK DJI Matrice 210 can fly for 38 minutes and operate as far away as 4.3 miles, reaching a speed of 85mph. Equipped with a high-quality FLIR thermal imaging camera, it will be dispatched for trail, swift water and still water rescues, as well as fires. It will also be helpful for damage assessment and prolonged incident management support.
