Gyeonggi Fire Department Deploys 'FIRO', Its First Unmanned Fire-Fighting Robot, to Hazardous Sites

The Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters recently held a demonstration of the advanced unmanned fire-fighting robot 'FIRO' at the Gyeonggi Fire Academy, unveiling the next-generation disaster response system.

'FIRO' is a newly named unmanned fire-fighting robot, with its name combining 'FIRE' and 'ROBOT' to signify a new on-site colleague that will be the first to be deployed to hazardous scenes.

This robot is jointly developed by the National Fire Agency and Hyundai Motor Group. Gyeonggi Province was one of only two regions nationwide selected last year for pilot operation, making it the fastest among all provincial and metropolitan fire headquarters in Korea to introduce this technology. With this, 'FIRO' can be deployed first at disaster sites that are difficult for personnel to access, such as those involving explosions, collapses, extreme heat, or heavy smoke, enabling not only fire suppression and search for victims but also ensuring safety.

'FIRO,' which was deployed to the Hwaseong Fire Station in March, completed seven weeks of field adaptation training.

At the demonstration, integrated response scenarios simulating actual disaster situations were successfully presented, including high-speed remote driving, real fire suppression, and rescue operations in heavy smoke environments.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters took a commemorative photo after holding an unmanned fire-fighting robot demonstration on the 6th. Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters

In particular, 'FIRO' was developed with actual field deployment in mind, boasting exceptional performance. With its IR camera and thermal imaging capabilities, it can identify fire sources and victims even in dense smoke, and its self-spraying function protects the unit in high-temperature environments.

It can deliver high-pressure water up to 2,650 liters per minute at distances of up to 50 meters, tow fire hoses weighing up to 400 kg, reach speeds of 50 km/h, and overcome obstacles up to 30 cm high.

Choi Yongcheol, Acting Director in charge at the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "The unmanned fire-fighting robot FIRO will be a new on-site colleague that faces danger first. We will do our best to ensure that, at actual fire scenes, it becomes the eyes and shield for our personnel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.