West suburban fire departments credit drones with helping improve safety and save lives

Fire department officials in Chicago's western suburbs said drone technology has been helping keep firefighters safe and make a major impact on public safety.

Having a drone in the sky above a massive fire in unincorporated Elgin on Sunday meant firefighters could tell the roof of an auto yard was about to cave in. Officials said it's just one example of how drones are making a difference.

"It'll give us the bird's eye view of the structure that's involved," Bartlett Fire Protection District Chief William Gabrenya said.

Gabrenya said his department's newest addition saved lives during a fire on Sunday afternoon.

"We were able to see that the roof on the structure was starting to come in, and we could see that with the thermal imaging," he said.

Crews responding to the massive blaze at an auto yard on Spaulding Road faced challenging and dangerous conditions, and Gabrenya said the drone "gives us situational awareness."

Their tethered drone can fly up to 150 feet, and is dispatched directly from their command vehicle.

"It's a huge benefit for us to be able to see what's going on," the chief said.

Hanover Township Emergency Services also has been equipped with a drone.

Untethered and heavy duty, their drone helped fight a massive warehouse fire in Bartlett in 2022. It took crews five days to put it out.

"With the infrared, we were able to send the drone into the building so they have a sense of how safe it would be for the firefighters to go in," said Hanover Township Emergency Services Director Mike Crews.

Both agencies said their drones are an example of technology making a major impact on public safety; help they wish they had years ago.

"This allows us to see if we are winning or if we are losing, because we can see if we are making progress and if we're not making progress," Gabrenya said.

The agencies are also using drones on hazardous material and rollover calls, even water rescues. Officials said the technology really is making a difference.