The future of firefighting is here — the Howe & Howe Thermite ™ RS 3 is a cross between a bulldozer and a tank fitted with a high-pressure nozzle. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was the first fire department in the United States to purchase and implement this firefighting robot which is fully remote-controlled. Watch it in action!
A Wall of Water
RS 3 has the capability to get much closer to flames and spray more gallons of water per minute than a human firefighter all without getting fatigued. RS 3 is able to output between 500 – 2,500 gallons per minute, which is more than a human firefighter can handle with a hose.
Creating a wall of water, wherever it’s needed, RS 3 has been called into action primarily for external structure fires. Yet, the more the LAFD used this robotic fire apparatus, the more they discovered it can do. The LAFD is credited with being the first fire department in the world to send an RS 3 inside a structure to successfully attack a fire.
Photos courtesy of Richard Diede, LAFD Captain II
Small But Mighty
RS 3 is a mighty mini tank equipped with a bulldozer blade to push through piles of debris and is able to move up to 8,000 pounds. Equipped with sensors, cameras and other technological capabilities RS 3 creates a novel approach to firefighting without placing firefighters at risk. Now LAFD is working with the Howe & Howe design team as they build an electrical model which could be used in hazardous material fires.
Being fully remoted-controlled, the operator can work from more than 100 yards from the RS 3 robot and still drive the robot and deliver water or foam precisely and safely. This capability is vital for the safety of human firefighters called to respond to intense fire situations.
Not every fire situation calls for the RS 3 to roll out and respond. Like firefighting bulldozers, airplanes dropping Phos check and water-scooping helicopters, the RS 3 robot is one of the more highly-effective firefighting tools in the very large LAFD toolbox.
By Shawna McLean
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