University staff receives award for project on drones and wildfires
A drone safety officer at the University of Portsmouth has been awarded The Churchill Fellowship for a project using drone technology for the management of wildfires.
Toby Meredith, Faculty Loan Store Manager in the University’s Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, has been awarded funding from the global foundation The Churchill Fellowship for his project, which involves investigating the use of drones for wildfire management in Canada.
The project aims to identify drone technology's role in managing wildfires to help reduce their lethal impact. Many fire services are already using drones when tackling wildfires, but Toby is looking to explore what are the most effective ways of using them. Canada, where wildfires are a massive problem, has integrated drone technology into its strategic plans for managing fires. By observing how drones are used in Canada, Toby’s project aims to provide information that will benefit the UK Forestry Commission and fire services in their approach to tackling wildfires, looking at prevention and recovery, as well as response. As well as Canada Toby will be visiting Portugal and working with the national fire services to see the methods used in a European country.
Having the opportunity to study the use of drones for wildfire management in Canada and Portugal is an amazing opportunity. I hope that what I find out can contribute to the amazing work of fire services, the forestry commission and all those involved in wildfire management.
Toby said: "2022 saw a record number of wildfires in the UK and rising temperatures, due to climate change and El Nino, will only result in hotter and drier summers. The threat of wildfires is increasing and so is the risk to people. The news is currently full of stories of extreme heat and wildfires happening across Europe and North America, it's pretty scary that the effects of climate change are upon us right now.
“Having the opportunity to study the use of drones for wildfire management in Canada and Portugal is an amazing opportunity. I hope that what I find out can contribute to the amazing work of fire services, the forestry commission and all those involved in wildfire management.
“I am extremely grateful to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship and to the University for supporting me in taking up this position"
Toby has used his remarkable work with drones to support Turkey and Syria earthquake search and rescue efforts, and for post-disaster search and rescue in Mozambique. He has also been a part of hosting the British leg of the World Food Programme's international disaster search and rescue drone experiment. This year Toby will start a PhD at Portsmouth investigating how drones are used for search & rescue and surveillance along migratory routes in the English Channel
More from Toby Meredith...
Staff member supporting Turkey and Syria earthquake search and rescue efforts
Toby Meredith is a volunteer for the Serve On International Response Team who are helping with search and rescue efforts.
UK hosts international disaster search and rescue drone experiment
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have teamed-up with the United Nations World Food Programme to use drones to help rescue people in the aftermath of natural disasters
Using drones for post disaster search and rescue in Mozambique
The project developed an app for faster interpretation of drone images, enabling more effective locating of people in need of post-disaster assistance.
