In 2018, a study from Bard’s Center for the Study for the Drone found that there are over 900 public safety agencies using drones. This number has more than doubled from 2016 and it will only continue to grow.
In fire departments, fire fighters are using drones for greater situational awareness during fires. They’re also using drones to create orthomosaic maps of local schools and other buildings / facilities where a fire could break out, so they can understand where all the exit points are in case of a fire.
Law enforcement has been using drones in a similar manner, creating maps of highly trafficked buildings that can be used to help evacuate people during an emergency, such as an active shooter scenario. And both police and fire departments use drones after disasters like floods, hurricanes, or severe storms to locate victims in need of help, and to understand the scope of the damage in order to best direct their resources to those areas that need them most.
The skill level needed for using drones in public safety work can vary greatly depending on the specific use case. For example, a fire fighter in California told us that drones can be helpful in locating people who fall of a cliff—instead of sending someone down on a rope, only to discover the spot they chose was wrong, they can fly a drone and see exactly where the person fell.
That scenario doesn’t require a great deal of skill beyond being able to fly the drone proficiently, but a scenario in which you need to use aerial thermography to locate people trapped in a burning building would require knowledge not just of flying, but of how to use a thermal camera under pressure.
We are insured, FAA certified remote pilots. Our projects include residential, commercial, agricultural and government clients:
- Crime scene mapping
- Search and rescue
- Traffic management
- Traffic accident reconstruction
- Real time situational awareness
- Unexploded ordnance
- Hazardous materials
- Safety
- Evaluating damage after a natural disaster
- Storm damage
- Hurricane
- Tornado
- Earthquake
- Flood
- Emergency deliverables
- Pre-fire planning
- Photos and videos used in training guides and materials
For more information, please visit our website www.floridadronetech.com