Drones are becoming an invaluable tool in firefighting, rescue services, and law enforcement. This incredible aerial imaging technology is being used in more industries every day, but its value as a safety tool is also starting to be widely recognized. Using drones for public safety is a developing trend that shows incredible potential in a variety of settings.
Using Drones to Determine Risk and Allocate Resources
Whether employed in disaster response or as part of a search and rescue mission, the many benefits of using drones are clear. Models like the xcraft Panadrone can quickly scan wide areas, record threats using high-resolution imagery, and give first responders immediate data to work with when allocating personnel and resources.
Combined with other technology such as thermal sensors, drones can also locate missing persons in remote locations in a fraction of the time it would take an on-the-ground search-and-rescue crew. The usefulness of drones in multiple high-risk scenarios is just beginning to be fully explored, but there is no doubt this is a tool that will be deployed with increasing frequency in the following public safety applications:
Law Enforcement
Drones can be used to support incident response by swiftly mapping out a crime or accident scene to help determine the extent of the incident and the size of the law enforcement team that needs to go in. Scouting out a danger zone in this way allows for informed decisions to be made while also ensuring the safety of officers and bystanders at the scene.
Search & Rescue
Rescue missions can be made even more dangerous for responders when there is incomplete or inaccurate information about the situation they are going into. This is particularly true at night when a lack of visibility can severely hinder search operations. The high-resolution thermal and digital imaging that drones are able to produce completely eliminates this problem.
Firefighting
Large-scale fires, such as the out-of-control wildfires we are seeing more and more of these days, require the swift aerial scanning of vast areas in order for firefighters to extinguish blazes before they reach populated areas. A drone can quickly identify fire lines so that responders can assess their threat and ensure an appropriate and timely response is initiated.
Disaster Response
Sweeping over affected areas, a drone can record property and infrastructure damage so that appropriate relief steps can take place. If it is a situation where lives are at stake, every second counts so it’s critical for responders to have the most timely and accurate data in order to send help and resources exactly where they are needed most.
The Future of Employing Drones for Public Safety
How law enforcement and other public safety agencies will leverage drone technology is continuing to evolve. There are drones on the market now that can function autonomously without an operator, giving them the ability to follow pre-planned flight routes, navigate through complex interior structures, or even follow suspects. We are very excited to see how this evolving technology will be applied to improve public safety in the coming years as we do our part to further the industry.
For more information on our product line and the many applications these incredible drones can be used for, contact us today at xCraft.
