Aspen agencies announce partnership, new early wildfire detection pilot program
24 May 2021
Published by https://www.aspendailynews.com/
USA – The Aspen Fire Protection District on Saturday announced a multi-jurisdictional partnership to provide early, automated wildfire detection by placing specialized cameras at specific vantage points.
“These specialized cameras coupled with Pano’s artificial intelligence and intuitive software technology provide near-instant detection, triangulation and communication of wildfire threats,” the AFPD press release explained.
Together between AFPD, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Pitkin County Telecommunication, Elk Mountain Technology and Pano AI, a wildfire technology company — coupled with private funding from Red Mountain resident Jerry Hosier, who offered to fund 100% of the pilot program — the Aspen district will have access to early-detection technology not yet widely available, the release continues.
“We are excited to offer this early detection to our community and our partnering valley agencies beginning as soon as June and lasting through this fall, which will cover a large portion of our valley from Independence to El Jebel and possibly beyond,” the announcement says.
According to the announcement, Pano AI’s platform uses mountaintop cameras, artificial intelligence and “intuitive software” to detect initial signs of smoke and send out real-time fire images to first responders and emergency personnel, “all with the goal of detecting flare-ups earlier and enabling a faster response before they become large infernos.”
The cameras, stationed on Pitkin County communications towers, will rotate
continuously, capturing 360-degree imagery that is processed in live time by the Pano AI engine, which uses advanced computer vision techniques to detect smoke and alert dispatch or appropriate agencies. When multiple cameras spot the same incident, Pano’s web software can instantly triangulate the location of an incident, helping response crews coordinate a faster, more targeted response.
