Smartphones have become a tool to assist firefighters in responding to incidents – and residents calling the service have been asked to help give a picture on the scene using their own devices.

Staffordshire's next Chief Fire Officer has welcomed the increasing use of technology to help crews deal with call-outs, from fires to missing people.

The latest Fire and Rescue Service Public Performance Meeting – chaired by Staffordshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams, heard this month how devices owned by many residents can play a part before crews arrive to the scene.

He said: "There was a message I picked up recently – someone had called fire and rescue and an early question to them was have you got a smartphone? This individual was thinking 'what's going on here, I'm trying to report a fire'.

"Can you explain what is going on with people providing more information to control via the technology they have got in their pocket? I think the individual was confused and a bit angry, then they were almost embarrassed when they realised just what a contribution they were making."

Glynn Luznyj – who is set to become Staffordshire's next Chief Fire Officer next month – said: "It's a fantastic example of how technology is helping us in the fire and rescue service, at the coalface of the interaction in an emergency.

"There is a facility now that our fire control operators can tap into a member of the public who has a smartphone by sending them a link very quickly.

"They can click on the link and video what's occurring on the ground in real time. That can be relayed to the control centre, to aid with their decision-making so they can see the incident before them, and that can also be relayed to the oncoming crews who are on the way to the incident – that can be so valuable in informing the tactical plan for the commanders and the teams.

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"Where there's been a fire in a home, everybody's outside the property, the link's been sent through, control have witnessed somebody realising that a pet is still inside the house that's on fire and they've made the decision to enter the building.

"All of a sudden we've got a house that's on fire with a person reported inside and that dramatically changes the situation for the oncoming crews, who can prepare for that and act accordingly."

The meeting also heard how drones were increasingly being used to assist emergency services. Mr Adams said: "I'm involved with the national police aviation service and we're seeing drones used a lot more in policing.

"That new technology is still progressing for fire and rescue as well and going into areas safely, which you wouldn't want firefighters to go into without advance information."

Mr Luznyj responded: "There are so many benefits. I remember first using a drone a decade or so ago, purely for a media interview at the scene of a large wildfire in the county, and we were so impressed with the picture and the views the drone was giving us.

"We knew then what an opportunity drones could present in terms of operational awareness, decision making and thermal imaging. Now I've seen real value on a number of occasions on the ground, whether it be a building fire or a missing persons incident, to give you that overview quickly.

"I think this is an area we are going to continue to exploit and learn. I think the research needs to really be driven nationally and inform us locally.

"We have used other fire and rescue services who have different drone capability – an example being there is an underwater drone that does help in the very sensitive and difficult incidences where you may have somebody who is submerged under water. We've used that in the county very effectively.

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"It's a developing picture, one that I can see only enhancing firefighting operations. I think there will be, in very near times, opportunities to have drones committed into buildings, doing a level of firefighting, a level of assessment and reconnaissance which is going to make it safer for our firefighters.

"I'm very much behind exploiting those opportunities and learning from them in the future."