--- title: "New York is Deploying Robot Dogs to Fight Fires Now" description: "Firespotting Move over, Clifford — there’s a new big dog in town, and this one’s semi-autonomous. The New York Times reports that the New York Fire Department has become the first fire service in the country to purchase Boston Dynamics’ $75K-a-pop robot dogs — though of course, it’s not the first public safety agency to buy […]" date: "2022-03-18" modified: "2022-03-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nyfd-robot-dogs" categories: - "Robot Dogs" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "boston dynamics" - "firefighters" - "nypd" - "robot dogs" - "the digest" --- # New York is Deploying Robot Dogs to Fight Fires Now ![Move over, Clifford — there's a new big dog in town, and this one's semi-autonomous. ]() *\Image: Boston Dynamics/Futurism\* ## Fire Spotting Move over, Clifford — there's a new big dog in town, and this one's semi-autonomous. The [*New York Times* reports]() that the city's fire department (FDNY) has become the first in the country to purchase Boston Dynamics' $75,000 robot dog — though of course, it's not the first public safety department to buy them — nor is it the first in the Big Apple. The FDNY told the *Times* that they plan to use the 70-pound robots affectionately named "Spot" to aid during difficult search-and-rescue missions, a potentially far less controversial use of the technology than their NYPD contemporaries using the dogs on raids. ## Robocop There's also the convenient side effect of helping the city recoup some goodwill about the "dogs" after the New York Police Department's disastrous experiment with them in 2021. It's been just under a year now since the [NYPD canceled its contract with Boston Robotics]() early [after the public caught wind of the robots]() via a viral video. The video showed one of the robots, painted police blue, walking with cops out of a public housing building after the arrest of an alleged home invader. "What the fuck is this is the exact right reaction," [one *Times* reporter tweeted]() in response to the "Black Mirror"-esque video at the time. https://twitter.com/graemeknows/status/1502467466542428167 ## It's the Media's Fault, Actually According to captain Michael Leo of the FDNY's robotics team, Hollywood is to blame for the public's mistrust in these machines. "The TV industry and the movie industry are hurting us in some ways because they often show pictures of robots that are weaponized, and then people think that’s how all robots are," he told the *NYT*. "Our whole mission is a lifesaving one. That’s the core thing. These robots will save lives." Beyond concerns about the weaponization and general creepiness of these robots are broader worries that they may be used as a surveillance tool, especially after the NYPD came under scrutiny over its disastrous rollout last year. Policing is, after all, quite different than the work being done by fire departments. With a bit of luck and a lot of common sense, the FDNY will avoid the mistakes of its sister agency and use Spot a bit more tactfully. **READ MORE:** [See ‘Spot’ Save: Robot Dogs Join the New York Fire Department]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on "Spot":** *[Boston Dynamics Deploys Robot Guard Dog At Factory]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()