STOW, Mass.—The Department of Fire Services has added three new drones to its Special Operations fleet that will allow fire/rescue personnel to stream footage from hazardous indoor environments, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said.

 

"Drones were a giant step forward for situational awareness in the fire service," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Up until now, we've used them primarily to provide aerial footage from outside a structure or above a large wildfire or search area. These new drones can operate reliably inside a building, which will be especially valuable for Hazmat, structural collapse, and other dangerous calls."

 

Watch a video explaining the program on the Department of Fire Services' YouTube channel.

 

DFS tested the drones over the course of 2025 and procured three of them during the fall. The Special Operations team demonstrated the drones for DFS Hazmat technicians, State Police fire investigators and bomb technicians assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy's senior leadership for input before announcing the new program publicly. The drones were also put into use onboard the USS Massachusetts during the Massachusetts Association of Technical Rescue Specialists' 2025 Tech Rescue Challenge.

 

"We try to gather as much information on the hot zone environment as we can before sending a Hazmat technician downrange," said Timothy Gallagher, deputy director of the DFS Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Division. "The real-time footage from these drones could help us identify hazards or threats, allowing us to form an entry plan that's safer for our personnel."

 

"Fire investigators are often called to structures that are badly damaged and unsafe for entry," said Lt. Marc Reidy, commander of the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office. "Our bomb technicians frequently have to assess suspicious devices and energetic materials in homes, businesses, and other buildings. Streaming a live feed from these environments to a safe location is a smart use of technology to keep first responders and the public out of harm's way."

 

The DFS Special Operations team provided direct operational support to local fire departments with assets that many departments need occasionally but few can afford to purchase. Its resources include four Rehab units to keep firefighters healthy, hydrated, and fed at large-scale incidents; three Incident Support Units to provide on-scene communications, conferencing, and mapping capabilities; all-terrain vehicles to shuttler personnel and equipment in remote or off-road environments; and a variety of trailer-based resources to make a tough job a little easier. It has delivered drones and certified pilots for about 10 years, consistently upgrading to reflect the latest advances. About a dozen are staged across Massachusetts for rapid response when requested.