Every second counts in an emergency response. And the more information first responders have before they arrive on the scene, the faster they can get to work saving lives and bringing the situation under control. For these reasons and more, law enforcement agencies and their emergency response team (EMT) partners are beginning to add unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to their emergency response toolkits.
Back-up from above
UAVs (aka Drones) offer significant support to officers responding to an emergency. Take, for example, a traffic collision scenario. With a UAV at the ready, law enforcement agencies can send a drone well in advance of an officer to bypass any obstructions caused by the incident and stream real-time coverage of the situation. Moreover, Heavy Lift Drones can be dispatched when a call comes through to transport vital medical supplies and equipment to the scene for use by first responders when they arrive.
The efficacy of using drones in emergency response situations is also well documented. According to the Canadian report, Optimizing a Drone Network to Deliver Automated External Defibrillators, it is estimated that drone technologies could reduce the arrival of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in Toronto by over six and 10 minutes in urban and rural areas, respectively. What’s more, solutions such as Heavy Lift Drone can help emergency crews avoid the risk of spreading themselves too thin.
Cases in point
The concept of using UAVs to augment emergency responses is already being put into practice. Draganfly, for example, is a Canadian company spearheading the adoption of Drone as a First Responder (DRF) programs and developing UAVs that can be used by all first responders to gain critical situational awareness during an emergency and transport vital supplies to those who need it most.
One case in point is in Spring Branch, Texas, where Draganfly partnered with EMS on the development and training of how to properly pilot drones and handle deliveries during an active emergency, medical, and disaster response situations. By October 31, 2021, Draganfly had successfully completed over 300 daytime delivery test flights with EMS personnel, 100 of which were completed with Draganfly’s Medical Response Drone.
