Drones are being utilised in all walks of life and industry, with new, innovative use cases becoming apparent each day. Recently, drones have proven to be invaluable for Search and Rescue, with their range, reach, speed and unparalleled response time.
By nature, search and rescue operations can be extremely challenging and unpredictable. The unpredictability of these operations is one of the many reasons why drones are seeing increasing use.
Drones are usable in multiple environments and can be equipped with different tools depending on the needs of the situation. Not only does this make them an extremely flexible bit of kit, but they also have much quicker response times than traditional search and rescue surveying methods, which can be critical in time-sensitive, complex rescue operations.
Drones can launch in a matter of seconds or minutes, depending on the specific model, and can quickly navigate almost all terrains and environments. This makes them ideal for time-sensitive search and rescue operations where large amounts of data needs to be collected in as little time as possible.
Most rescue operations take part in hostile or inaccessible environments, for it is often the nature of the location that is the cause of the emergency.
Drones are capable of searching nearly all areas in a fraction of the time when compared to on the ground teams. From scanning for a lost person on a mountain to analysing the aftermath of an earthquake or hurricane to navigating quickly to a life-threatening event in a congested city – drones offer unparalleled response times, scanning large areas and gliding over dangerous or inaccessible locations.
Drones can help with both the detection and identification of missing persons or suspects.
Almost all search and rescue operations are for humans or warm-blooded creatures. As a result, a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera is an invaluable resource in rescue operations, for it makes life forms easily spottable in the most hostile of environments
All of our drones come equipped with GPS tracking as standard, allowing our pilots to quickly and accurately offer rescue teams with exact coordinates of suspects or missing people, as soon as they have been spotted. Most drones also include live-streamed footage to offer further support from the air.
Overall, rescue drones provide real-time monitoring and data collection in almost all environments at any time of day, without risking the safety of any individuals. Thermal imaging capabilities also greatly increases the ability to find people or identify objects at night.
Unlike older methods of surveillance, drones can be equipped with microphones and speakers allowing for direct communication with distressed victims or support teams. This allows for adaptive and effective management of search and rescue operations. Spotlights can also be added to drones to light up large areas, as well as a wide range of other equipment.
If you’d like to learn more about the capabilities of drones for search and rescue operations, then please do reach out! A member of our team would be more than happy to talk you through the numerous ways that our drones could assist your operations.
You can get in touch with us at 01926 313419 or via mail@targetsurveys.co.uk!