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Australian drone operator Ninox Robotics recently announced a joint operation with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service to fly long-range drones for surveillance of bush and grass fires

This year, over 600 public safety and related industry professionals convened at the second annual National Public Safety UAS Conference, in Williamsburg, Virginia. These are the top 5 key takeaways from the event.

A panel of FAA representative provide updates and insights for public safety and law enforcement drone community with updates on the B4UFly app, remote ID, and  along with fielded questions from the audience.

Use of counter UAS technologies to keep unauthorized drones out of sensitive airspace, including the space over prisons where incursions are becoming more frequent.

As both state and federal officials try to limit, if not outright ban, the use of Chinese-made drones by public service agencies, police departments and sheriff's offices in Texas have taken steps to ensure that those UAVs in their fleets do not present the security threat that ban advocates fear.

"the prospect of using robotics and related systems in place of human intelligence to perform tasks and solve problems is seen by many as key to increasing efficiency, enhancing safety, and delivering exceptional return on investment in a broad range of commercial operations."

News reports from across the US and around the world point to an increase in the use of drones and related systems in public safety and law enforcement. In large cities and small towns alike, uncrewed systems are being put to work in countless ways that make citizens safer and supply more and better tools for law enforcement officials. 

While we've explored what it means to build a drone program, success with doing so always depends on the approach and industry. Those distinctions are especially evident in the public safety sector, where success isn't just about a given task or project, but also about policy, process and the general public.

The AR5 drone, equipped with optical and infrared cameras, a maritime radar, an AIS receiver, and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon antenna, showcased its ability to deploy a lifeboat for up to eight people with high precision.

The new Commercial UAV News guide, "Building Your Drone Program: Defining Your Scope, Choosing the Right Systems, Workforce Development, and More," can help.

The Role of Drone Technology in Crisis Management and its Impact on Communities

California Appellate Court's Decision Impacts Public Access to Police Drone Footage

Jump Aero, a California-based aircraft manufacturer, has partnered with the Oregon Department of Aviation to explore the integration of their JA1 Pulse Aircraft into the fabric of Oregon's emergency response ecosystem. The recently inked Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marks a collaborative effort to redefine emergency medical services in rural Oregon, harnessing the speed and sustainability of the JA1 Pulse Aircraft.

Jump Aero and the Oregon Department of Aviation are looking to determine how to bring the emergency response aircraft to the rural population

uAvionix, operating at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Emerging Aviation Technology Center, has completed the first true Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight in non-segregated airspace using aviation protected C-Band in the United States.

In a collaboration that merges ADS-B aviation technology with advances in public service through aviation, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and uAvionix Corporation have entered a partnership that brings a dual band Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver network to the National Radar (NRAT) mission. This initiative aims to dramatically reduce response times in search and rescue operations, potentially saving lives in critical situations.

The North Carolina Wing has been at the forefront of the Civil Air Patrol small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) program that culminated in the first locate and save within CAP in August of 2021. On May 6th, the program introduced an increase in training and equipment at the NCWG headquarters.

NASA's Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project is utilizing drones and advanced aviation technologies to enhance wildland fire coordination and operations. Drones can extend the window for aerial suppression, allowing for safer and more effective firefighting. ACERO is developing airspace management technologies to share information between crewed aircraft, drone operators, and ground crews during wildfires, improving situational awareness and reducing safety risks

Drones are widely recognized as an indispensible tool in firefighting.  Now, researchers from George Mason University are working on a drone and wearable sensor solution that can locate each firefighter working in a burning building – and notify their team if they're in trouble.

For the third time, autonomous drone technology leader Everdrone has made the list of Ny Teknik's Top 33 Most Promising Tech Companies in Sweden.

Another student competition for designing an air tanker has concluded.

$2.7 million has been granted to 5 universities in FAA drone research awards, which will support work on leveraging drone technology for disaster preparedness and emergency response.

NASA's STEReO (Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations) project, led by the Ames Research Center, has developed a prototype of a drone pilot's kit intended to help scale up the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for disaster response applications.

Spright, an Air Methods subsidiary, is performing critical missions in North America, providing emergency medical services to more than 100,000 patients across 48 states.  Spright is their drone division – created to help solve many of the time sensitive challenges that the medical logistics industry faces.

A federal judge has struck down a Texas drone law, one of the most restrictive in the country, for violating the First Amendment's protections of freedom of speech and the press.

Skyfire Announces SF2 Drone for Public Safety and Critical Sector Missions

Two N.C. Department of Transportation programs combined to be the first in the nation to launch an innovative technology pilot with their safety service patrol that should improve safety on North Carolina roadways.

Technology Tension
A conversation with Coast Guard Researchers

BRINC Drones to Sponsor Leading Robotics Summit offering critical drone training for public safety personnel.

21-year old BRINC CEO Blake Resnick is the creator of the Lemur line of drone solutions – and the successful company behind them.  Now, Resnick is the youngest person named to this year's prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Impact list.

Dutch aviation technology pioneer Avy has launched the first Drone Response Network to combine docking stations with autonomous aircraft that possess vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. The network's implementation provides 'drone coverage' within a certain area, allowing for instant deployment to support medical deliveries or emergency services during critical incidents. It's fit for purpose and ready for roll out, with first flights taking place in the first quarter of 2022.

Near Earth Autonomy and L3Harris Technologies have announced a successful demonstration of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that can autonomously deliver life-saving blood and other medical supplies hundreds of miles away from operational bases to medics in the field.

The centre will be used to support cargo drones delivering urgent/ medical and emergency supplies/ precious supplies to remote areas of Northeast.

The use of drones for fighting wildfires is a "hot" topic, with more than 6 million acres of forest burned this year. When they are used by emergency responders they have proven to help suppress and contain massive blazes, and save lives on the ground and in the air.

Firefighters and police drone team has been using the V-Line tethered system for the
Mavic 2 drone in a variety of situations on land. Today, Volarious launch a new product called the V-Line boat mode.
It can also be used in coastline surveillance, search & rescue operations. A drone can take off, follow, and land on small vessels autonomously while providing a real-time elevated view of high resolution thermal & RGB images and video streams at the comfort of the cabin.

The urban air mobility market is projected to grow to USD 17,269.71 million by 2035, registering a CAGR of 17.81% during the forecast period (2021-2035). The growing traffic congestion issues, especially in larger cities, globally, are propelling the need for faster modes of intracity transportation. In this regard, the urban air mobility concept is gaining importance. There are many R&D investments in the urban air mobility industry, with many start-ups and aerospace players eyeing this market as one of the high growth potentials. With the growing emphasis on environmentally friendly and economically sustainable technologies in mobility, players are mainly focusing on developing eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, whereas other players are looking beyond electricity to alternative energy sources, like hydrogen fuel cells. Therefore, such factors are expected to drive the growth of the market in focus during the forecast period.

The real-word danger faced by first responders has been highly visible in 2021, from tragic scenes of search and rescue, to a national surge of active, mass shooter situations. BRINC, an American technology company building a new class of drones in response to the mass shooting at The Mandalay Bay, today announced that it has raised $25 million in Series A funding for its mission to keep people safe in dangerous situations.

Armed with fire-retardant clothing, a helmet, headlamp, and flashlight, NASA's Joey Mercer spent a night in August scrambling over rocks. He was in the woods of Northern California shadowing a team fighting the Dixie fire – the second-largest wildfire in the state's history to date. In September, he and teammates made their way to three more California wildfire events, watching and learning as firefighters on the ground used small uncrewed aircraft to help battle blazes from above.
Mercer is the principal investigator for the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations, or STEReO, project at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. His team is designing software and communication tools to help disaster responders work more safely and efficiently. Part of their approach is to scale up the use of unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, also called drones.

The police department in the city of Austin, Texas plans to create a new Robotics Unit to oversee the operations of its drone fleet.
Within the next several months, the Austin Police Department is expected to request that the City Council approve funding for the creation of the unit, Assistant Chief Scott Perry said in an interview.

Urban Aeronautics, the Israel-based aerospace company behind CityHawk, the advanced, compact eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) with a distinct, wingless exterior and patented fully-enclosed Fancraft™ rotor system, today announced the first $10 million towards their next round. The added funds come after the latest successful test flights for the company's tech demonstrator in early July, showcasing the CityHawk's capabilities for smooth vertical takeoff, landing, and short-distance flight in wind conditions, which is a key step on the path to commercial production for inner-city air travel. Private investors from the USA, Brazil and Israel participated in the round.

If you've ever wondered exactly how drones get used during a public safety mission, the new Skydio video series is worth watching.

While topics related to Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) systems and U-space have been a major part of both Commercial UAV Expo Americas and Commercial UAV Expo Europe, a new connection for these events to Amsterdam Drone Week has enabled such discussions to be highlighted in a whole new manner. The Advanced Air Mobility Summit that was part of the conference program for the Commercial UAV Expo Americas event highlighted the benefits that these connections can enable in the short and long term.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is stepping up global co-operation on the use of humanitarian drones, which are a game-changer for fast, accurate, disaster impact assessment and response. With growing threats from famine and climate change, it is hoped a new online platform will help respond to the challenges ahead, as currently being demonstrated in the response to tropical storm Eloise in Mozambique.

Picture the scene. A person has collapsed outside. Paramedics have arrived and they're helping a doctor assess their patient. Suddenly there's a buzzing sound from the sky and, as they look upward, a futuristic, drone-like flying ambulance bursts through the low cloud cover and begins to descend to the streets below.

The Sheriff's Office is requesting public comments and input regarding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones).

Drones are widely used to take amazing aerial photos, or to inspect infrastructure and crops. But in the future it is hoped they can increasingly be deployed to help firefighters or search and rescue operations in emergency situations.

With flame-ravaged Bay Area communities still mired in a tough recovery after California's worst fire season destroyed more than 1,000 Bay Area homes, a Silicon Valley startup says its artificially intelligent firefighting drones could help stop future catastrophes.

Drone delivery of goods and critical services via mobile networks is a step closer following successful testing by Vodafone and Ericsson.

The Brookhaven Police Department is launching itself into a new world of drone policing, with the aerial robots set to respond to 911 calls in a program officials say will save time and money. But that also means flying into uncharted territory of legal and ethical implications, as experts say there are no national standards for police drones.