NEW SOUTH WALES

RURAL FIRE SERVICES

  • Contract duration

    2007-2011 - Five year exclusive use contract

    2012-2016 - Five year exclusive use contract

    2016-2019 - Four year exclusive use

    2018-2021 - Additional exclusive use

    2018-2022 - Camera and maintenance contract

  • Required services

    To supply a fully integrated multi-sensor daylight and thermal imaging camera system, helicopter to ground live downlink transmission solution, accurate mapping and geo locational system and trained operators.

    To fully maintain and service our equipment whilst ensuring the least amount of equipment down time due to maintenance, upgrade or repair.

  • Scope of work

    Undertake regular daily reconnaissance sorties throughout the Sydney basin and Urban interface area’s on the NSW coastal region throughout the fire season and to send live visual and geo locational data to operations HQ in Homebush, Sydney

    To fly and send reconnaissance daylight and thermal footage on any reported fire event, remaining over site until re tasked to another fire site or de tasked to the NSW Rural Fire Service airbase in Bankstown NSW or any local base of the RFS’s choosing.

    To follow dry storm systems and send geo locational and visual data of new lightening strikes for immediate fire suppression efforts.

    To locate and surveil incidents of arson ignitions and direct NSW police to persons of interest. To record, accurately time stamp and archive all footage collected onboard for future use in training, promotional or coronial inquest cases.

    To work with and deliver similar outcomes to various law enforcement agencies as requested. These agencies included: NSW Police, NSW State Emergency Service (SES), NSW Search and Rescue, The Australian Federal Police (AFP) NSW Fire and Rescue and other State Fire Emergency Agencies such as, Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.

  • Achievements

    Playing a pivotal role in fighting the Black Saturday Fires as far as they impacted NSW in 2009.

    Providing life saving intel during the very active bushfire season of 2013.

    Flying over 1000 hours in almost continuous rotation providing running live reconnaissance of the Black Summer fires of 2019/2020.

    Enabling advance calls on evacuations, locating fire trapped individuals, families and groups and supporting airborne rescues and fire fighting efforts.

    Providing real time intel used to save the lives of thousands of NSW residents from July 2019 thru February 2020.