US fire department hires its first firefighting robot: All you need to know

Team Udayavani, Oct 16, 2020, 2:59 PM IST

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has become the first fire department in the US to hire a robotic firefighting vehicle.

The RS3 was purchased and donated to the department by the LAFD Foundation, making it the first use of a robotic firefighting vehicle in the country

The Thermite RS3 can discharge nearly 9,470-litre water per minute and go on for 20 hours without refuelling.

As reported by Engadget, The LAFD’s Thermite RS3 is a 3,500-pound robot that is about the size of Smart car. It features a cannon that can discharge 2,500 gallons of water or foam per minute and align itself vertically to function as a sprinkler.

The fire department moved the robot from a demonstration near Dodger Stadium to fight a fire that engulfed two Fashion District buildings in the city’s downtown core. It worked with more than 130 human firefighters to put out the blaze, helping to clear remains inside the building where the fire broke out.

The robot can assist in large animal rescues, fuel tanker fires, and structural defence at wildfires