In an emergency, time is critical. Whether it is a fire, kidnapping, robbery or disaster Emergency Response teams need to be present in seconds and minutes can cost people their lives. On the other hand, if a firefighter or police officer doesn’t take time to assess the situation it can cost them their life along with others and make a challenging situation worse. That is why it is important to have not only back up but also a pre-response team, that’s where Emergency Response Drones (ERD) are critical.

When a fire across town during peak traffic hours keeps your emergency responders stuck for minutes at a time a drone can be sent from the fire truck or nearby fire station to monitor the ongoing situation. Utilizing thermal sensors and feeding the images back to a dispatcher to keep the firefighters informed, even reporting on wind and possible predictive algorithms for surrounding buildings and land. This handy firefighting tool can mean the difference between a building or lives being lost and prepares the response unit for the emergency, even determining the nearest fire hydrant.

On the other side of the city a robbery occurs and police officers are notified but are unable to make it to the scene to catch the culprit. Meanwhile in the sky above, a PRD (Police Response Drone) is hovering on the robber’s location careful to remain far enough away to not cause him/her to run. When the officer is able to make it to the scene the drone can provide a powerful incentive to the criminal to remain where he is by using a speaker system connected to the officer, urging the individual to give up. This allows the officer to remain in the view of the drones camera but in cover and still be heard, lowering the possibility of harm and having a record for future review by the department and any court system.

These are only two examples of the important roles that ERDs will play in the upcoming years as crowded cities make emergency response more difficult and yet more critical. The emphasis on integrating these drones with specialized sensors and abilities to assist cities and departments cannot be over-emphasized. By keeping our Emergency Response personnel and citizens safe ERDs will become vital to a safer society.