The Eye in the Sky: How Drones Serve as a Life Preserver in Public Safety
Picture this: A supervisor has collapsed atop a 100-foot water tower, and rescue crews need to get them down safely. In the past, the Incident Commander would have to rely on verbal reports via radio from rescuers on the tower and hope that the people who could make the grueling climb had the skills and experience to execute a safe operation. But today? A drone hovers nearby, streaming live video of the rope rescue while seasoned professionals guide the operation safely from the ground.
This isn't science fiction: it's happening right now. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), better known as drones, have transformed from hobbyist toys into essential lifesaving equipment for law enforcement and other public safety agencies. These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have become the ultimate "life preservers" for both the citizens they help rescue as well as for the first responders who no longer must put themselves in harm's way.
In emergency responses, where seconds matter, and danger lurks around every corner, drones provide something invaluable: distance. Critical, life-saving distance that keeps everyone safer while still getting the job done.
Protecting First Responders with UAS Technology
Tim Doyle knows danger. As a bomb technician and UAS coordinator in Norfolk, VA, he's built his career around a simple but powerful principle: "Remove the operator from the environment." "You're still doing it," Doyle explains, "but you're increasing that operational safety."
In the bomb squad, where the unofficial motto is "Go remote, stay remote," this philosophy can mean the difference between going home at the end of the day - or not. Instead of getting close enough to visually inspect a suspicious device, technicians can send a drone ahead. The aircraft can provide crucial depth perception while they operate ground robots, and crucially, all from a safe distance.
And it's not just bomb techs who benefit. Before SWAT teams breach a building, drones can scout ahead, providing an "overall picture" and watching potential escape routes. Officers get advance warning of threats they might otherwise walk into blind. Aircraft are also sent into the structure to clear ahead of the team. UAS are not limited by stairways, hoarding conditions or other ground obstacles.
Paige Fitzgerald, a member of Delaware's emergency management drone program, puts it simply: the goal is to "keep the humans away from the harm and the hazard. That is the most paramount thing that we can be doing." That water tower rescue? Her team made it possible for the most experienced decision makers to stay safely on solid ground while still directing every aspect of the operation.
A Direct Lifeline: Drone Rescue and Emergency Aid
Arcady Shteynberg's company, Omada Group, has been working with specialized emergency flotation devices (EFDs) since 2019 and has supplied public safety agencies since 2021. These lightweight, aerodynamic flotation devices attach to drones, turning them into flying rescue equipment. When someone is drowning, every second counts, and a drone can reach a person faster than launching a boat or deploying a marine unit.
Developing these attachments is a delicate balancing act. The challenge, Shteynberg notes, is that "every ounce, every milligram... that can be added on, is what's going to change the operational capacity of the drone for the mission." Engineers must work to reduce drag and find the "sweet spot between where it can provide help and at the same time not impacting the battery." The result is a highly specialized tool designed for maximum efficiency in a life-or-death moment.
Technology keeps getting better, too. Thermal cameras, which Fitzgerald says have "come light years from where we started," can spot missing persons in conditions where human searchers would struggle. Massive search parties that once combed through wilderness for hours can now be guided efficiently by eyes in the sky.
The future promises even more dramatic capabilities. Shteynberg envisions a fully autonomous system where AI identifies a person in distress and launches a response without human intervention, that "comes out of the box with rescue equipment attached, goes over to... triage the situation, drops accordingly, communicates information, [and] relays information back to 911 or to the Lifeguard Tower."
The Power of Situational Awareness with Police Drones
Behind all these specific capabilities, Doyle points out that situational awareness has always been a critical challenge in public safety, and "the UAV space has made it possible" to solve this problem on a scale never imagined. No less of an authority as the Federal Aviation Administration backs up this assertion, noting that programs like Drone as a First Responder (DFR) excel at providing "real-time aerial situational awareness in advance of and to support ground units."
This bird's-eye perspective changes everything. Commanders can watch entire scenarios unfold and then make strategic decisions based on complete information rather than fragments from officers on the ground. After a winter storm struck Delaware, Fitzgerald's team documented over $4 million in damages to a state park in just 15 minutes. This technology kept workers safe by allowing them to view damage from afar while fast-tracking federal disaster aid into the community.
In law enforcement situations, this kind of comprehensive awareness often determines whether a tense situation gets resolved safely or spirals into tragedy. Sometimes the most powerful life preserver isn't a physical device; it's simply being able to see the whole picture before making critical decisions that affect everyone involved.