The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service wants to buy an unmanned aerial vehicle to assist with emergency operations.

The department is asking the city for $32,000 to purchase a drone, a thermal imaging camera and training for its staff to deploy the unmanned aircraft.

The vehicles may be used when the fire-paramedic service conducts water rescues, fire-scene assessments and reconnaissance, search and rescue operations, flood operations, wildfire monitoring, incident analysis and during hazardous-material calls, says a report from the fire-paramedic service to council's innovation committee.

"The implementation of a UAV program would demonstrate the City of Winnipeg's commitment to ongoing improvement and the use of available technology to improve public safety and facilitate efficient use of taxpayer-provided funds," the fire-paramedic service writes.

The innovation committee will consider the report on Tuesday.