Boulder County is employing new technology to help first responders detect fires more quickly.
The new partnership with Pano AI, the first of its kind in Boulder County, uses high-definition cameras and artificial intelligence to spot fires, check fuel status, and target specific locations. helps to match.
And nearly a year after Boulder County experienced the most devastating fires in state history, Colorado ranks among the top five states in the nation for homes most vulnerable to wildfire damage, due to a drier, hotter climate. It is happening at a time when it is reported to be one of
“Wildfire threats are surging in our county,” Sheriff Joe Pele said in a news release. “Warming climates are making wildfire seasons longer and more severe each year.”
The idea has been in the works for over two years and was at least partially inspired by the fact that Pano’s chief commercial officer, Arvind Satyam, grew up experiencing wildfires in Australia and now lives in California. . United States has occurred.
Satyam said through conversations with fire departments, utilities, insurance companies and other organizations across the country, Pano AI determined that a lack of technology was one of the challenges facing first responders. rice field.
“We need more technology. We need to do better. We need to get it into the hands of those on the front lines,” he said. “There are a lot of disparate technologies that are not really connected to each other.”
According to information from Pano AI, the company offers a fully integrated wildfire detection solution that combines advanced hardware such as satellites, ultra-high-definition 360-degree cameras, computer vision and artificial intelligence.
All this is aimed at helping first responders get to the scene quickly and safely and stop the fire before it spreads.
“Minutes matter. Every big fire starts with a small one,” Satyam said.
Seth McKinney, the Boulder County Fire Commissioner, agreed.
“Pano AI enables fire managers and incident commanders to improve visibility and real-time situational awareness in hard-to-monitor terrain, determine early action plans for emerging and escalating incidents, It will allow us to quickly deploy resources to the right place,” McKinney said in a release. “This immediate tactical information will be a valuable tool in helping us make decisions.”
Eldora and Lee Hill now have working cameras and a third set will be online soon. According to Boulder County, in areas where the camera is close enough, such as skiing in Eldora, Pano AI uses pixelation to blur videos/photos and protect privacy.
When choosing camera locations, Pano AI consults with people in the field to determine areas with the highest wildfire risk.
Pano AI also hopes to expand the use of its technology to areas outside Boulder County, given that fires have no jurisdictional boundaries.
He also said the company hopes the technology will one day impact the premium rates and insurability of real estate in high-risk areas.
“The ability to quickly respond, contain and downsize an incident presents an opportunity to make[the region]more insurable,” Satyam said.