Chinese fire and rescue team tests intelligent firefighting equipment

The China International Emergency Management Exhibition (CIEME), taking place in Beijing until Friday, aims to enhance international cooperation for natural disaster prevention and emergency management under the Belt and Road Initiative.

As part of the event, firefighters and a rescue team based in Beijing tested new high-rise firefighting and rescue intelligent equipment in the capital city's central business district on Thursday.

Developed by KunGe Drones Technology, the system is based around collaboration between drones and robots.

When there is a fire in a high building, drones fly to it and deploy ropes to fixed points. The ropes provide holding powers for robots to transport a water cannon, enabling high-flow water spraying to suppress the fire. The water cannon is controlled remotely, allowing unmanned operation.

The equipment provides firefighters with an effective, safe and rapid system for firefighting and rescue operations in buildings up to 200 meters tall.

Firefighting and rescue operations in super high-rise buildings are a common challenge around the world. Standard fire trucks have limited operational heights, with aerial ladder trucks reaching 50 meters and the tallest trucks extending to 101 meters.

Firefighters are often unable to reach the necessary levels when operating in super high-rise buildings. With the help of the new system, water can be transported up to around 200 meters, and the climbing robot can carry a water cannon with a flow of 5 liters per second and a 40-meter spray reach.

The system's developers say from the moment of arrival at the fire site, the whole system can be operational in three minutes, and water can be sprayed to extinguish a fire within nine minutes. "This enables firefighting operations within the crucial time," said Dong Fulong, the R&D manager of KunGe Drones Technology. 

In addition, the smart-controlled water cannon has adjustable spray angles. The water cannon platform is intelligently controlled, with a vertical rotation range of 130 degrees and a horizontal rotation range of 180 degrees. Experts say this elevates the precision of firefighting operations and reduces the risks to firefighters during operations at height.

Dong said firefighters and rescuers from a number of Belt and Road partner countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran, have shown great interest in the system, which is being showcased at CIEME.

"We would like to further promote the system to more Belt and Road partner countries while helping them to solve firefighting difficulties in high-rise buildings," added Dong.

On October 19, 2023, the National Fire and Rescue Administration, administered by the Ministry of Emergency Management, organized experts to evaluate and verify the efficiency of the system.

Experts said the system provides a new approach to tackling fires in high-rise buildings, addressing issues including the limitations of high-lift fire trucks, restricted operating areas, and difficulties in attacking fires both inside and outside a building. In 2019, the system was included in the administration's major scientific research plan.

(Cover: A ducted fan firefighting drone at the CIEME, November 13, 2024. /CFP)