Dubai’s jetpacked firemen actually saved the day yesterday…

Remember that video of Dubai’s fire service on jetpacks? Well, it was met with mixed reviews. Some deemed it unnecessary, while others questioned when they’d actually need to use it.

Were you one of the skeptics? Well, do we have news for you…

A fire broke out on a wooden boat near the Ras Al Khor area of the Dubai Creek yesterday. Guess who tackled it? A jetpack-equipped fire brigade.

Dubai’s Civil Defence ended up saving 14 sailors from the blaze.

Check out these firefighters in action (click to play):

News of the fire was announced by the Dubai Police via Twitter, who advised motorists to take an alternative route after closing down the Floating Bridge. 

WHAT IS THIS FIREFIGHTING JETPACK?

If you thought the Dubai emergency services couldn’t get any cooler, you were wrong.

The Dubai Media Office released a video in January showing a fireman using a water-based jetpack to tackle a blaze.

It’s not some mega, super-powered flying machine, no. You won’t see the Dubai emergency services whizzing past your office window like mosquitos.

The piece of kit uses water pressure generated by an attached jet-ski, shooting pressurised water out of the bottom to raise the fireman into the sky.

Dubbed ‘Dolphin’, the Dubai Civil Defence service claim that the new piece of equipment will allow firefighters to deploy rapidly in order to tackle blazes by the waterside, or in the water.

Lt Col Ali Al Mutawa, head of operations at Dubai Civil Defence, mentioned that floating firestations may be on the way soon to Dubai Canal, allowing emergency services to tackle nearby blazes with ease, The National reports.

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