Drones transform firefighting, emergency response in China

Drones are playing an increasingly vital role in firefighting and emergency response efforts in China, boosting efficiency, precision, and safety while driving a technology-driven transformation of traditional emergency response methods.

With their extensive monitoring range, high mobility, and flexibility, drones have become indispensable to fire and emergency response teams nationwide, providing critical support for urban and forest firefighting.

A recent high-rise firefighting drill in Fuzhou City, in east China's Fujian Province, showcased the remarkable capabilities of drones in complex urban environments.

The drill simulated a fire in a 110-meter-high building, with the burned area exceeding 500 square meters. Within 20 seconds, drones equipped with fire hoses ascended to the targeted height, and in just 30 minutes, the fire was successfully contained -- nearly twice as fast as traditional firefighting methods.

"Drones offer significant advantages, including rapid response, high mobility, and minimal impact from ground obstacles. In emergencies, they can quickly reach the scene, assess the situation, and carry out rescue operations. The integration of drones with ground teams has transformed traditional firefighting methods, addressing challenges that were previously difficult or even impossible to overcome, fundamentally reshaping rescue strategies," explained Ma Yuchun, a senior commander at the National Fire and Rescue Administration's Forest and Grassland Firefighting and Aerial Rescue Division. In forest and grassland fire response, drones provide indispensable assistance, enabling faster and more accurate emergency detection while offering 24/7 aerial supervision.

In the Daxing'anling Mountains, one of China's largest forested regions located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of northern China, forest fire units have integrated drones into daily patrols. Equipped with thermographic imaging cameras, these drones can accurately detect fire sources even at night, enhancing early warning capabilities.

"As the responsibilities of our brigade continue to expand, drones are playing an increasingly vital role in rescue operations. Previously, firefighters had to conduct foot patrols or deploy helicopters to assess fire risks. Now, these tasks have been assigned to drones, significantly enhancing patrol efficiency, improving fire detection, and extending aerial surveillance capabilities for forest protection," said Sun Qi, deputy director of the Firefighting and Rescue Command at the Daxing'anling Mountains Forest Fire Unit.

Drones transform firefighting, emergency response in China

The expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States has raised concerns among Russian experts, who warned that the absence of a successor pact could spark a new arms race.

The New START, signed by Russia and the United States in 2010, aims to limit the number of deployed nuclear warheads and their delivery systems. The treaty entered into force on Feb 5, 2011, with an initial validity period of 10 years and was later extended through Feb 4, 2026.

Experts in Moscow urged both sides to negotiate new arms control agreements and rules.

"The main risk is that the United States has opened the Pandora's box. A new arms race will begin, which will be difficult to control, because it lacks mutual oversight and transparency. The U.S. does not hide the fact that it wants to start a new arms race to defeat all geopolitical competitors," said Konstantin Blokhin, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Russian experts also said that the United States had not always adhered to its commitments even while the treaty was in force.

"The original treaty included provisions for inspections of nuclear facilities in both countries. In practice, however, inspections were interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and since then, the United States has on more than one occasion evaded obligations on this issue stipulated in the treaty," said Konstantin Kamkin, a senior researcher at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations.

Absence of new arms reduction accord risks renewed arms race: Russia experts