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Almost two years after its debut in October 2020 the RS3 has yet to have its own detail page of its successes but it is proving to be an invaluable aid in dangerous situations.
Manufacturer: Textron: Howe & Howe Technologies
Located: Fire Station 3 in Downtown LA as a part of the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force
Specs:
- 3,500 lbs so it will be deployed via a dedicated trailer towed by a pickup truck
- 8 mph top speed
- Cannon that can blast water or foam at 2,500 gallons per minute
- Hose stream reach of 300 ft. horizontal & 150 ft. Vertical
- Remotely operated with controller
- High-definition video feedback for ultimate maneuverability in difficult conditions.
- The Howe & Howe website says "Operated by remote belly-pack controllers, users are provided a real-time video feed allowing them to traverse hazardous terrain and push obstacles from their path while withstanding extreme elements"
- 8,000 lbs. winch. The Howe & Howe website details "With strength to push vehicles from its path and pull up to 8,000 lb, the RS3 has you covered in any situation."
The RS3 was used to clear debris inside the two Fashion District buildings aflame in downtown Los Angeles, requiring over 130 human firefighters to put it. The robot was used out hours before the scheduled October 13,2020 public press conference introducing the new equipment at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center. Similar technology was used at the Notre Dame cathedral blaze in Paris in 2019, at which time, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said, the department took note of their equipment.
Cost: The LAFD Foundation enabled the LAFD to purchase the unit without City funds, because an unnamed donor funded the entire $277,000.
Additional publicly announced uses of the robot include
January 2021 at a 5,736 square-foot vacant and boarded one-story former restaurant was completely destroyed. 111 firefighters ".... working for more than 3 hours in a well-coordinated combination of offensive and defensive tactics, have extinguished stubborn flame" The RS3 robot was at the scene, but remained "...in standby as an LAFD Excavator commences a teardown of a dangerously unstable exterior wall. " LAFD: Firefighters Battle Major Emergency Structure Fire in Sun Valley | January 20, 2021 - YouTube
April 2021 at a furniture manufacturer in South L.A. where 170 firefighters were assisted by the RS3. LAFD Uses Robotic Vehicle at Commercial Structure Fire - Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment (fireapparatusmagazine.com)
September 30, 2021 - Edge Design & Decor Warehouse fire in El Sereno. Over 150 firefighters from LA City (130) & County were assisted by the Robotic Vehicle. NBC LA: LAFD Uses Tech to Battle Massive Warehouse Fire in El Sereno | September 30, 2021 - YouTube
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