Were there any lingering doubt about the contribution drones can make to emergency response activity, it has now been dispelled by a Lancet study of Swedish drone startup Everdrone’s performance in rushing life-saving defibrillators (AEDs) to cardiac arrest victims.
Surf Life Saving NSW, a water safety and emergency rescue organization in Australia, is trialing new drone technology to look for missing bushwalkers or people swept into rough seas.
In the wake of the city’s recent decision to introduce permitting procedures expected to ease its notoriously tight drone restrictions, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has moved to expand its own fleet by procuring cutting-edge BRINC tactical UAVs designed for use in critical situations to reduce threat to human lives.
Canadian UAV hardware and software company Draganfly has reinforced its emphatic support of Ukraine in its battle against invading Russian forces with the delivery of the first of three Situational Assessment Drones for the nation’s emergency and rescue units.
Global drone and photography giant DJI is alerting clients of a new software upgrade for its enterprise and first responder Matrice 30 series, including associated accessories and apps.
European drone research and promotion organization AiRMOUR has released the results of its large opinion survey of sector stakeholders and members of the public on attitudes toward use of UAVs in different activities – particularly in response to medical emergencies. While not necessarily surprising, the findings bode well for increased acceptance of the craft operating in European Union skies in future.
Tampa Bay drone and robotic services company FLYMOTION has joined the expanding list of homegrown and national businesses and emergency responder organizations now hard at work to locate and care for survivors, and assist large areas of southwest Florida start recovering from the devastating passage of Hurricane Ian.
Ian, which made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, has left catastrophic damage in its wake. As rescue crews and disaster relief groups jump-start recovery in the region, drones have emerged as a critical force multiplier for damage assessment and search and rescue efforts.
A research project experimenting with drones to identify overexerted athletes in states of distress turned into a real-life emergency medical response operation last weekend, when UAVs deployed to monitor the Montréal Marathon spotted an exhausted runner collapsing.
European UAV research and innovation organization AiRMOUR has launched a series of tests using drones – including an EHang air taxi – to substantiate the potential advantages of the craft in responding to life-threatening medical emergencies.
Specialized UAV consulting firm Skyfire has formed a partnership with drone management and collaboration software specialist DroneSense to offer public safety agencies a range of packages designed to facilitate the launch of first responder small craft programs.
Vertical Aerospace is teaming up with fellow UK company Babcock International to explore a range of potential deployment scenarios of Vertical’s VX4 electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including cargo transport, defense operations, and emergency medical services (EMS).
Specialized Atlanta-based UAV consulting firm Skyfire is itself launching into aerial action with the release of its SF2 drone, which is designed and manufactured specifically for public safety and critical sector operators.
For all those first responders out there who’ve been a bit tardy in taking advantage of a nice opportunity, here’s good news. Connecticut-based UAV tech, cloud, and software solutions provider Aquiline Drones has announced it is extending its offer to provide free pilot training and education to emergency and rescue workers for another six months.
Emergency response solutions specialist Carbyne has teamed up with visual augmentation firm Edgybees to offer enhanced, real-time imagery during calamities. The service is designed to enrich live videos from drones and provide crisis managers with better, fuller information about developing emergencies their responders will be encountering.
Residents and visitors of Ocracoke Island prize the calm and seclusion its remoteness affords. Yet that distance from off North Carolina’s coast also makes getting supplies to locals facing emergency extreme weather difficult – a problem drones may help Ocracoke solve.
Korean Air is providing fire fighting and rescue services at a popular vacation destination two of its hybrid drones. The craft’s mix of battery and internal combustion power will increase the length of missions flown, and enhance the craft’s resistance to rough weather conditions.
A herd of 15 wild elephants is plowing through southwest China’s Yunnan Province and fast approaching Kunming, a city of 8.46 million, after escaping a nature reserve more than 300 miles away. And keeping a track on their progress is a task force of 360 personnel, 76 cars, and nine drones.
Unmanned aerial system service specialist, DroneSense has introduced mobile streaming and asset management capabilities to its interface platform. The company says the features will be of particular value to first responders in emergency situations.
Authorities in India have authorized test use of drones for COVID-19 vaccinations as part of their response to the unprecedented surge of coronavirus across the country.
Fotokite already offers a clever response to two challenges for deploying drones: limited battery life and the need for a certified pilot. And now it’s tackling a third challenge with its new product: How to deploy a drone as quickly as possible in a first responder situation. Expand Expanding Close
DJI introduces as of today, their global authorization team that can unlock geofencing restrictions around the world, around the clock within 30 minutes. Geofencing restrictions are hardcoded into DJI’s products to prevent, as the FAA likes to call them, clueless, careless and criminal drone pilots from flying their unmanned aircraft into sensitive areas, such as the airspace around airports (SFO for instance), prisons, and other military or federal facilities. However, in times of emergencies, first responders and law enforcement officials may want to fly their drones into such areas, which is why DJI has now introduced a special team that can authorize access for specific drones to fly into areas that are typically off-limits. This feature is only available for professional drone operators and not for casual drone pilots.
Drones are making inroads in all different aspects of our lives. Most people fly them for fun and tend to see drones as a hobby or a toy. Meanwhile, however, these unmanned aerial vehicles are quietly transforming many professional operations and for instance, they are increasingly being used by real estate agents, insurance inspectors, maintenance crews, farmers and emergency responders.