Firefighting with Drone Assistance: User Needs and Design Considerations for Thailand

Abstract

Drones are increasingly being deployed to assist firefighting crews in their missions, with the technology being chosen based on availability, rather than aligned with their specific needs. This phenomenon is exacerbated in the Global South, where infrastructure is scarce and where specific processes and user needs have to be adequately mapped to successfully introduce new technologies. We conducted semi-structured interviews with firefighting professionals (N=15) from Thailand, covering their prior experience with drones, challenges they encounter in their job, and how they envision this technology could better support them in the future. Our findings describe users’ technological needs and their expectations in terms of interaction and collaboration with drones. We identified specific challenges in Thailand that hinder the deployment of drone technology, including mismatches in technical and financial decisions. Furthermore, participants advocated for sharing physical systems between fire departments. We conclude with design considerations for drones in resource-limited firefighting contexts.