We spent a lot of time in Kharkiv, one of the Ukrainian cities that is perhaps the most frequent target of rocket shelling, cruise missile attacks, and drone attacks.
Most recently, we trained firefighters from the pyrotechnics team there who will demine the occupied territory. During the training, we talked to the firefighters about what they might need to do their job more safely and effectively. They timidly started talking about a fire robot that could immediately start extinguishing the fire and not have to worry about a second attack on the same place or the explosion of unexploded ammunition.
These double attacks are taking a bloody toll on Ukrainian firefighters and rescue workers. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine until the end of November 2024, almost 100 firefighters have died in the line of duty. Of these, Kharkov alone accounts for 11 firefighters killed and another 56 wounded.
And yet they continue, day after day, for more than 1,000 days, going out to several incidents a day.
We have been looking for a way to help for a long time, and we have found a solution. This is the UGV HECTOR Firefighting robotic platform from the Czech company ProLab engineering. The robot is designed and manufactured in the Czech Republic. Perhaps another industry where our country will be at the forefront.
This robot is remotely controlled from a safe distance (the autonomous control option was rejected due to GPS signal interference), can operate for up to 14 hours on a single charge, and thanks to its size and passability, it can reach places where larger vehicles would not be able to reach.
We will be trained in the Czech Republic to work with the robot ourselves. We will personally deliver it to one of the Kharkov fire stations and teach the boys not only how to use it to put out fires, but also how to maintain it.
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