SPRINGFIELD – Fire Commissioner B.J. Calvi said the newest technology additions to the Fire Department will “bring it into the 21st Century.”

Last week Calvi and Robert Hassett, Springfield Fire Department's Office of Emergency Preparedness

Director, displayed several new robots and drones that will allow firefighters to remain safer.

Among the items purchased with corporate grants was the Endeavor Robotics First Look, a small robot that resembles a toy tank. Hassett explained it can be thrown into a building to give firefighters a look at a situation. It has four cameras and a speaker and a microphone that allows fire fighters to communicate with people inside a burning building.

The AreaRAE Pro is a gas detection system that can monitor for several different gases as well as gamma radiation. It can form a network with other such devices to cover a large area, Hassett said.

The two drones that were purchased have different uses, Hassett said. The DJI Inspire has a flight time per battery charge of 15 minutes and can be used to search land, lakes and ponds with its high resolution and infrared camera. Hassett explained the drone could be used in situation such as searching for a body and the infrared camera could be set to search for an object within a certain temperature range. In a recovery mission on water, firefighters could use the drone to locate a body before launching a boat.

The DJI Mavic Pro is a drone that Hassett said could be used inside of buildings to assess a situation. It has a maximum flight time of 27 minutes.

Hassett explained fire department personnel have been trained and certified to fly both drones.

Calvi called the two drones “ a big asset for search and rescue.”

The new technology represents an investment of more than $100,000.