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Munich Fire Department Set to Launch Automated Drones for Incident Reconnaissance

A six-month trial will guide an evaluation ahead of a planned third site in early 2026.

Overview

  • Operations begin Wednesday with two Skyflow drones stationed at Schwabing and Ramersdorf to cover the city, with flights to neighboring districts on request.
  • The aircraft will depart automatically on alerts to deliver high‑resolution live imagery to the integrated control center and incident commanders before crews arrive.
  • Automated flights remain under continuous human supervision by trained Skyflow pilots, who can take control if needed.
  • Safety and privacy safeguards include geofencing around restricted areas, an integrated parachute for controlled landings, incident‑only deployment, and GDPR‑compliant data handling.
  • The rollout was coordinated with police and rescue helicopter operators, and officials describe it as the first automated operation of this scale in German fire services.