Aircraft

Dubai firefighters to tackle high-rise fires with Jetpacks

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Martin Aircraft Company will provide up to 20 Jetpacks, two training simulators, initial training services and operational support
The Martin Jetpacks can be flown by a pilot or via remote control, take off and land vertically, operate in confined spaces and carry commercial payloads of up to 120 kg
Martin Aircraft Company will provide up to 20 Jetpacks, two training simulators, initial training services and operational support
The Jetpacks could be useful for transporting equipment to where it is required, rescuing individuals or deploying specialist teams
Dubai's Directorate of Civil Defence has signed a memorandum of understanding with Martin Aircraft Company for the planned initial delivery of up to 20 Jetpacks and two training simulators
Martin Aircraft Company will provide up to 20 Jetpacks, two training simulators, initial training services and operational support
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Fires in high-rise buildings can be very problematic. It can be difficult to move around the building, to quickly get equipment to where it needs to be and even to communicate with people inside. Dubai, a place with lots of towering constructions, plans to tackle this by giving Jetpacks to its firefighters.

The country's Directorate of Civil Defence has signed a memorandum of understanding with Martin Aircraft Company for the planned initial delivery of up to 20 Jetpacks and two training simulators. The proposed deal will also include initial training services and operational support.

Martin Jetpacks have been developed with first responder use in mind. They can be flown by a pilot or via remote control, take off and land vertically, operate in confined spaces (such as close to or between buildings or near trees) and carry commercial payloads of up to 120 kg (265 lb).

This functionality means the Jetpacks can provide a variety of first response services. For example, they can be used for surveillance or observation (such as to determine the focus of a fire), transporting equipment to where it is required, rescuing individuals or deploying specialist teams.

The agreement was signed earlier this week at the Dubai Air Show.

Sources: Martin Aircraft Company, Dubai Civil Defence

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15 comments
c w
Though this is the Martin Jetpack,
the Jetpack not a jetpack -
it is a ducted fan vehicle.
Fairly Reasoner
Photo 2 of 4 is a hoot. The guy in the rig looks like he's listening to the judge's verdict ... and it's not good.
CliffG
Good luck with this. Just what a fire needs, a 200 hp ducted fan to spread the flames.
pickypilot
I can hardly wait to see YouTube videos of those idiots blasting right through the glass towers.
steveraxx
Awesome.
stewartm0205
Safer to use an unmanned drone.
Wolf0579
I can't wait until they get a-hold of these. Remember, this is a culture still effectively in the stone-age, but with a metric butt-load of money. This city was at least 90% designed and built by foreigners. There's no telling what they'll get up to with these thigns... personally, I'm hoping they'll try to attach a long fire hose to it for aerial firefighting operations. That should prove amusing.
Stephen N Russell
Could have used in 1974 disaster epic The Towering Inferno from Irwin Allen But ideal for all cities but Dubai has some super high skyscrapers alone to service, need more jetpacks & hoverplanes alone. IE Avatar mode.
Daishi
This is so hilariously Dubai I feel like The Onion published it. In my head I can just picture a fire and having all the firemen drive up in Lamborghinis, Bugattis, and like Pagani Zondas and flying around in jetpacks up put out fires.
The expression "more money than they know what to do with" doesn't even do it justice. They build a city of skyscrapers without a sewer system so they have lines miles long of sewage trucks. Maybe instead of fire trucks they could just build a system that pressurizes the water from an available sewage truck so that it can be used by someone on a jetpack.
Dubai needs a reality TV show.
Keith Reeder
"I can hardly wait to see YouTube videos of those idiots blasting right through the glass towers"
Just because you wouldn't be able to manage, it doesn't mean that these guys won't...