Surveillance for Intelligent Emergency Response Robotic Aircraft (SIERRA)- VTOL Aircraft for Emergency Response

The Surveillance for Intelligent Emergency Response Robotic Aircraft (SIERRA) project was formed to unite academia and emergency response units for assessment of the viability of UAVs for enhanced situational awareness. The goals of SIERRA, focusing on forest fire applications, are not only to have an eye in the sky but additionally to circumvent loss of life and limit property damage by utilizing a low cost, easy deployable UAV system. The main concept is that real-time data gathered coupled with an accurate predictive capability and rapid dissemation of processed information by the incident commander makes a very meaningful difference in disaster/emergency response With the real-time monitoring capabilities and the capabilities of onboard sensors firefighters can see the real fire and its progression on any level of the Incident Command Structure. This paper presents the SIERRA system and summarizes limited tests conducted in collaboration with West Virginia forestry.