“Controller” means a hardware device or a software program that manages or directs data flow between two entities. These entities can be one or more fire-associated risk surveillance assets and a command center, between a command center and a fire-mitigating asset, between a fire-associated risk surveillance asset and a fire-mitigating asset, or any combination thereof.

In the general example, the controller may comprise a fixed location controller, such as a computer installed in a building (“fixed control center”), or a mobile location controller, such as a computer installed in a vehicle (land or air-based vehicle) or integrated with a portable electronic device (“portable control center”), and maybe either central or distributed. The controller is generally a computer processing unit coupled to one or more unmanned aircraft and/or the water spraying system.

For purposes herein, the “autonomous firefighting system” means a system embodying one or more unmanned aircraft. It is a water spraying system for one or more fire-associated risk surveillance assets and a controller configured to detect fire-associated risk events and deploy one or more unmanned aircraft. A water spraying system is used for mitigating actual or potential damage associated with each of the detected fire-associated risk events.