Firefighters in Dubai are channeling their inner superheroes to fight fires with a high tech new tool; a flyboard! Dubai’s Civil Defence program has recently launched something they called “Project Dolphin.” Using a Zapata Racing Flyboard with water supplied from a specially-equipped jet ski, firefighters now have a whole new way to attack fires near bodies of water such as on bridges, creeks, canals or even boats and shoreline buildings.
The flyboard forces water at high pressure through the jet system in the board connected to the firefighters’ boots which propels them up into the air and allows them to reach virtually whatever they need to.
Director General of Dubai’s Civil Defence, Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, said “Project Dolphin” will shorten response times during peak traffic hours. During these peak hours, the city’s traffic can prevent emergency vehicles moving quickly through the city thus slowly response times.
The moments between the emergency 911 call and crews showing up on scene can be very critical as fire can spread quickly. If they can respond a lot quicker, it will allow them to start putting the fire out before it gets completely out of hand. As part of the “Project Dolphin” plan, they also intend to create floating fire stations to tackle blazes from the water.
