Advancing Safety. Expanding Capability. Serving Our Region.
At Valley Fire & Rescue, our mission is rooted in protecting lives, property, and our community — and now, we’re taking that mission to new heights. We are proud to be developing a cutting-edge Emergency Response Drone Program designed to enhance firefighter safety, improve search and rescue outcomes, and provide a region-wide resource for all emergency agencies.
🔍 Why a Drone Program?
In 2024 alone, Valley Fire & Rescue responded to 180 emergency calls across 118 square miles — ranging from structure fires and hazardous materials incidents to complex search and rescue operations. Nearly 50% of those calls could have benefited from drone technology, offering critical aerial intelligence, thermal imaging, and scene safety monitoring.
With mutual aid and automatic response agreements across 14 departments and a growing population of 9,500 residents and 2,500 daily workers, the need for smart, efficient, and advanced emergency tools has never been greater.
💡 What We’re Building
We are currently launching our drone program from the ground up. Two members are already trained and FAA Part 107 certified, using their personal drones until department-owned assets can be secured. Our vision includes:
- A thermal imaging drone (IP55 rated, 200x zoom) for active fire and search operations
- A fleet of batteries for extended mission duration
- A monitoring system for incident command integration
- Drone training props built to NIST standards
- A dedicated training drone to onboard new operators safely
- FAA Part 107 licensure and hands-on training for 10 or more pilots
Estimated total program cost: $37,000
We are actively pursuing multiple grant opportunities, but most grants do not fund 100% of the program — and the process can take several months. We need community and corporate support to bring this vision to life sooner.
🔧 Innovation + Commitment
What sets Valley Fire & Rescue apart is our relentless drive to improve the way we serve. We are a volunteer department that answers the call 24/7. We embrace new technologies, train constantly, and show up for our community — not just in emergencies, but at local events, outreach programs, and mutual aid requests across Mason, Putnam, and Cabell counties.
This drone will be available not just to us, but to every department in our region that may need it.
✈️ Help Us Launch
We’re seeking partners to help us fund this program — whether through sponsorship, donation, or in-kind support. If you or your organization would like to support firefighter safety, modern emergency response, and regional collaboration, we’d love to hear from you.
📧 Contact us at ZAdkins@ValleyVFD.com
We’re actively seeking volunteers to join our new drone program. Whether you’re an experienced pilot or eager to learn, we’ll provide the training and certification needed. Help us bring this life-saving technology to our community.
🤝 Those Assisting Us
Since the announcement of our Drone Program we have received assistance from the following contributors:
- State Farm Good Neighbor Grant – Provided $10,000 in funding for training