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Lewisville Fire Department has won an international award recognizing the innovative use of drones by its Swift Water Rescue Team.

Lewisville Fire won a Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards Special Commendation from the International Association of Water Rescue Professionals (IAWRP). The ceremony for the awards was canceled this year due to COVID-19. Representatives from the fire department will be invited to attend the IAWRP Symposium in South Bend, Indiana, on June 6 to receive their award.

Lewisville Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team was recognized for the implementation of unmanned drones in its rescue efforts throughout the state. This included purchasing the drones and meeting FAA certification requirements with skills assessments and monthly training exercises. The drones have increased the speed the team can search the waterways and deploy rescue personnel.

The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards recognize preparedness, teamwork and a job performed often under extreme conditions, where training is vital to the success of rescue missions and the safety of rescue personnel.

“I know the members of the Lewisville Fire Department have put a lot of hard work in to their programs so it’s great to see this kind of recognition for those efforts,” said Forsyth County Fire Marshal Gary Styers.