San Francisco is in an uproar over robotaxis' persistent interference with firefighters, police officers and other emergency medical personnel. The city's fire chief called attention Thursday to the potentially dangerous encounters between driverless cabs and first responders, telling The Times in an interview that she was "fed up" with the incidents, which include driving into active emergency scenes and parking on a fire hose. Now San Francisco's police union has joined city officials in urging regulators to postpone a vote, scheduled for Thursday, on a measure that would allow Waymo, Cruise and other robotaxi companies to expand in San Francisco. "While we all applaud the advancements in technology, we must not be in such a rush that we forget the human element and the effects such technology unchecked can create dangerous situations," union President Tracy McCray said. As robotaxi companies plan to provide service in Los Angeles, San Francisco officials battle with state regulators over robotaxi safety.

Robotaxis keep tangling with firefighters on the streets of San Francisco, and the fire chief is fed up. "They're not ready for prime time," Chief Jeanine Nicholson said. Nicholson is talking about the driverless taxis from Waymo and Cruise that are picking up passengers and dropping them off in designated sections of the city. Now those companies want to rapidly expand service throughout the entire city, in unlimited numbers, in any kind of weather, day or night. And state regulators appear ready to approve their request.

A microdrones md4-1000 flies quickly over the water, reaches the swimmer far ahead of the swimming lifeguard, and drops a compact flotation device that automatically inflates. Drones could soon become a standard life-saving tool for lifeguards and rescue teams. Even just a few seconds in the water can mean the difference between life and death, and robots can fly much faster than people can swim. On his best day, Michael Phelps swims at 6 mph, but drones can reach speeds of 50 mph or more. Plus, smart drones equipped with sensors could help locate survivors lost at sea.