Firefighters in Montgomery County now have three new tools to help them battle flames and rescue people in need on both land and in water: Drones. WNEW has the story.

“I think that this is going save lives, and it’s also going to save property loss, and it’s going to save us time,” Montgomery County Fire Department assistant chief Mike Clemens told WNEW’s John Domen, who got an exclusive look at the new machines. “It is exciting because it’s another element to make us better.”

Fire officials believe the reconnaissance the drone can provide while a fire is burning will be invaluable.

“Something like this can hover at the height of a building, about 25-30 feet above it,” Clemens said.

The high-definition camera mounted on board is capable of sending still shots and video to crews on the ground, so they don’t have to guess where to target the blaze. This can be especially helpful in highrise building fires.

D.C. Fire and EMS Department spokesperson Tim Wilson says, to his knowledge, Washington hasn’t considered the use of drones for this purpose. This could be because of D.C.’s highly regulated airspace.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said that in, order for a public agency like D.C. FEMS to fly a drone, they would have to apply for and get a certificate of authorization. “They would have to tell us what they wanted to fly, when they wanted to fly,” Les Dorr explained, and then the agency would evaluate if this could be conducted without hazard to other aircrafts or people.