Applications and future directions of unmanned systems in firefighting and rescue operations

The integration of unmanned systems represents a paradigm shift in modern firefighting and rescue operations, addressing critical challenges posed by escalating operational complexity and evolving environmental hazards. This narrative review synthesizes empirical evidence on the applications and future directions of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), ground-based mobile robots, and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in emergency response scenarios. Current implementations demonstrate significant operational advantages, most notably a substantial reduction in the number of personnel required on site and markedly improved timeliness and accuracy of real-time data acquisition. These systems excel in high-risk environments such as high-rise building fires, large-span industrial structures, petrochemical incidents, and natural disasters, where they perform critical functions including thermal reconnaissance, structural integrity assessment, hazardous gas detection, and targeted fire suppression. However, widespread adoption faces substantial barriers including fragmented interoperability standards, environmental resilience limitations, absence of cost-benefit validation, and inadequate human-robot interaction frameworks. Future advancements must prioritize demand-driven design, institutionalized operational governance, optimized maintenance frameworks, and enhanced integrated operational proficiency. The convergence of advanced autonomous technologies, standardized command protocols, and specialized talent development will catalyze the intelligent modernization of fire rescue agencies, positioning unmanned operational frameworks as the cornerstone of next-generation emergency response infrastructures. This study provides a unified framework for systematic integration of unmanned systems into fire and rescue protocols, bridging the gap between technological potential and practical implementation.