Roanoke County Fire and Rescue testing drone delivery for emergency situations Pilot program will start small, but aims to ramp up with technology and legislative advancements Updated: Tags: ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Drones have become just as common as hoses and axes for many of our local fire departments and now Roanoke County is piloting a program that would take its drones to the next level. Roanoke County Fire and Rescue’s drone program has grown more valuable by the day since launching in 2018. Most recently it flew over the top of the major fire at Pebble Creek Apartments to document damage and using thermal imaging, identify hot spots and places the fire had spread to. Lieutenant Sean Lacy said the while the drones have been valuable, they’ve generally served a single purpose.