Wiesbaden fire drone launches at first alarm, giving crews an aerial head start

How the drone works

Stationed on the roof of the fire station in Wiesbaden-Igstadt, the small red-and-yellow aircraft is triggered automatically when an emergency call comes in. A drone pilot then clears the flight, and the device follows a pre-calculated route at 100 to 120 metres altitude. Onboard sensors detect and avoid obstacles, and at the scene the drone can descend to a minimum safety height of 30 metres to capture detailed camera footage.

Live images are fed simultaneously to the integrated control centre in Wiesbaden and to tablets at the incident ground. The city says the system, developed with Berlin-based drone network company Skyflow, will be tested over the coming months.

Official backing

Hesse’s Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) welcomed the trial.

I welcome the Wiesbaden fire brigade’s drone project. Pre-reconnaissance drones make an important contribution to the modernisation and performance of hazard prevention.

He added that such drones improve situational awareness, increase the safety of emergency personnel, and support fast, well-founded command decisions. The ministry noted that while many fire services in Hesse already use camera drones during operations, no other pilot project with immediate pre-alert aerial reconnaissance is currently known to the state government.

Wider context

Drones have been used by fire brigades across Germany for several years, but typically only after crews arrive. The Wiesbaden trial flips that sequence, aiming to give incident commanders a strategic overview of fires, traffic accidents or other emergencies before the first engine reaches the scene. The city describes the project as a step toward faster, data-driven emergency response.