Firefighters

However, these technologies are helpers, not replacements. Writing detailed incident reports is still mostly done by people – although one DHS study noted that AI could draft up to 90% of a report so firefighters just check and finalize it ^[5]. Similarly, hooking up hoses and running pumps is largely manual (only specialized robots handle extreme cases) ^[2].

Teamwork, up-to-date training and physical fitness remain human duties. Experts emphasize that AI should support firefighters, but crews still “make the final call” in life-or-death situations ^{[3] [4]}. In short, smart tools can speed up tasks and improve safety, but brave human judgement and teamwork are still at the heart of firefighting.

On the upside, young people entering the fire service often welcome tech. Some departments find that using robots and AI can help recruit “digital native” firefighters ^[2]. Also, if AI tools clearly improve safety (for example, spotting fires earlier or reducing paperwork), they become more acceptable.

In every case, the balance of benefits (faster data analysis, extra safety) versus costs (money for equipment, training and oversight) will guide how fast these tools are adopted ^{[2] [5]}. The good news is that AI in firefighting is mainly used to make jobs safer and easier, not to replace people, so experienced human skills will stay valuable even as new technology arrives.