How do you make firefighters even more badass than they already are? Give them jet packs, of course.
We’ve all seen the various, amazing techniques employed by firefighters in their battle to protect/rescue us from infernos both natural and man-made. From simple hook and ladders to firefighting pilots dousing swathes of land with fire-retardant liquid to suffocate wildfires, firefighters often have a solution to the many fiery problems life can throw at us. A fire on a bridge packed with heavy traffic, however, is a tricky one to fight. In such an event, traffic can build up, making it hard for first responders to access those in need. Thankfully, Dubai looks like it might have just given us a solution in the form of these awesome jetpacks.
Called Dolphin, the system employs tech not too dissimilar to the Jetovators that are flooding tourist resorts (and ‘Fail’ video compilations). Firefighters are whisked to the scene of the flames on the back of a jet ski before rising handily into the air to tackle the blaze with a hose that can dump hundreds of gallons of sea water in a matter of minutes.
It’s a remarkably elegant solution to a tricky problem that has plagued first responders for some time now. While the fires of the future may be fought with robotic first responders who don’t feel the heat, Dubai is bridging the gap with this semi-futuristic solution for human blaze battlers. The Dolphin system is already in place, and Dubai authorities have even been testing traditional jet packs that could help first responders deal with emergency situations at the lofty heights of the city’s giant skyscrapers. That particular innovation, however, appears to be a little way away from becoming a reality.
