Drones are still a delicate subject in the public safety world. For every early adopter, there is an opponent to the technology. There is, however, a strong argument that this technology is underutilized and can offer incredible benefits to first responders and save more lives.
It’s important to address how drones and other autonomous systems could be used in emergency or public safety scenarios. Search and Rescue: Perhaps the most obvious way drones can help assist first responders is with search and rescue. Drones have the ability to cover more ground more effectively.
In 2014, a drone helped locate an 82-year-old man who had been missing for three days. The drone searched a 200-acre field and located the man in 20 minutes.