The Pierce Situational Awareness System is a self-piloting, actively tethered aerial device that offers instant aerial views of an emergency scene to help maximize emergency response effectiveness and safety. The tethered aerial device does not require a piloting license or certificate of authorization.

Controlled inside or outside the vehicle via tablet, a live video stream offers thermal surveillance, scene documentation, as well as critical training. The system transmits power, control signal, and video through the tether for security and reliability.

“During the beta-program rollout earlier this year, the Pierce Situational Awareness System was flown in over 1,500 missions by fire departments across the country,” said Jim Johnson, president of Pierce Manufacturing. “These missions included live fire responses, search and rescue missions, and training exercises.”

The system was developed through a partnership between Pierce Manufacturing and Fotokite. Pierce recently announced it would exclusively partner with Fotokite for its situational awareness systems for firefighters and first responders.

Pierce and Fotokite’s exclusive cooperation covers all land-based firefighting and public safety command vehicle markets in North and South America, as well as worldwide airport rescue and firefighting and industrial firefighting customers. Pierce’s dealer network supports Pierce Situational Awareness System installations in both new apparatus and those currently in service, including non-Pierce apparatus.