No time is wasted when disaster strikes. This is why drones are proving to be an essential tool in disaster response incidents. Drones can be used to quickly assess damage and coordinate efforts between emergency services agencies such as local government, police, fire and other emergency response agencies.
There are several benefits to using drones for disaster response and relief efforts. They can be used to assess inaccessible areas or locations with limited access and to reach remote areas that may be inaccessible to humans or manned aircraft.
Drones are also used for search and rescue operations and delivery of critical supplies such as medicine and food.
To respond quickly in times of crisis, emergency response providers around the world are increasingly turning to drone technology. This article lists the main benefits and some of the most common uses of drones in disaster response.
Benefits of Drones in Disaster Response and Relief Operations
Disaster response is a time-sensitive process that requires efficient planning and execution. One of the main advantages of drones is their small and compact design, which allows them to be quickly deployed to aid relief efforts.
In all kinds of emergencies, rapid action is required to reduce the risk to lives, to obtain an accurate assessment of the disaster and to be able to implement a thorough response.
Drones can play a vital role in emergency response by providing accurate aerial data that is essential for assessing the extent of damage and coordinating relief efforts. Using drones in this way helps first responders save time and allocate resources more effectively.
Another advantage of using drone technology for disaster response is that it provides a safe way to collect data in areas that are dangerous to humans and difficult to navigate for manned aircraft. This allows for regular flights over the affected area while preventing personnel from being endangered. This keeps emergency response teams up-to-date and enables incident commanders to make necessary changes when data is needed.
Most commercial drones are also easy to operate, do not require extensive training, and are very cheap to operate compared to helicopters and the like.
How drones are used in disaster response
1. Search and Rescue
Search and rescue is one of the main uses of drones in disaster response and relief operations. Search and rescue operations can take a long time to take off, especially when manned aircraft are required. Also, it can be difficult and dangerous for SAR teams to navigate disaster areas, so SAR operations are very limited if they are performed only on the ground. However, drones can be deployed very quickly and can navigate areas that are difficult to reach on foot, making SAR operations more effective. Many drones are equipped with multi-sensor payloads such as high-definition RGB cameras, thermal imaging cameras, and night vision sensors. night.
DJI has developed a handy interactive map It highlights areas around the world where drones have been used on SAR missions to successfully locate and rescue people. At the time of writing this article, he has saved nearly 900 of hers in 39 countries with the help of drone technology. The numbers are probably higher because DJI only updates the maps each time a report comes in and is validated.
2. Mapping for disaster preparedness, response and recovery
Drone technology is a constrict, mining, and agriculture. They can capture much more detailed information than satellites and manned aircraft, and they have the advantage of being easy to deploy and inexpensive to operate.
These capabilities are very important as drones can play a major role in all stages of disaster response and relief operations.
Disaster response agencies can use drones to map areas susceptible to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and landslides.through the use of Photogrammetry software like Pix4D, emergency planning agencies will be able to produce highly detailed 2D and 3D maps. These maps allow us to identify high-risk areas, mitigate the damage caused by natural disasters, and put systems in place to reduce the risk to life.
Drone mapping can also be used during the initial response phase of a disaster. This enables emergency response teams to assess the situation in real time, identify where assistance is most needed, and allocate resources accordingly.
In post-disaster recovery operations, drones offer a quick and easy way to map entire areas with great detail and accuracy. This will speed up recovery efforts and allow affected people to return to normal life as quickly as possible.
3. Firefighting
Wildfires occur regularly in many parts of the world and can spread very quickly, and the damage caused by these fires can have a devastating effect on the environment.
Drones are being used in a number of ways to reduce the damage caused by wildfires and are used to map wildfire-prone areas. This will help authorities identify where the worst fires are likely to occur. This will allow people living near these areas to be notified and an effective evacuation plan to be made.
Drones can provide a live video feed of the fire when it first occurs. This provides people on the ground with real-time situational awareness. With a live video feed, Incident Commanders can monitor fire and response teams and make necessary adjustments to response strategies as the situation evolves.
Drones are also a great way to find and rescue survivors. Being able to fly frequently at low altitudes increases your chances of finding survivors.
Drones are also used controlled burns, which is the method used by firefighters and environmental agencies to burn combustible materials such as fallen trees, dead trees, and dead leaves. This reduces the wildfire’s ability to spread, but is dangerous to do manually. Luckily, there are ways to perform controlled burns remotely, and one of them involves drones.
Many drones can be modified to carry ignition payloads that can be released to set small intensity fires.
One company that has developed a controlled combustion system for drones is Drone Amplified. Their payloads can be attached to many types of drones and emit small igniter balls that can be used for controlled combustion maneuvers.
4. Assessment of structural damage
Assessing structural damage after a disaster can be a dangerous task, especially when there is significant damage and danger of collapse. Drones offer a safer, faster and more efficient way to assess structural damage caused by disasters of all kinds.
5. For delivery of daily necessities
drone delivery is on the rise in many parts of the world, making it particularly useful for people living in remote areas and in need of vital supplies such as food and medicine.
In times of disaster, drones can be used to deliver critical supplies to those who may be stranded, but no other means of delivery are viable.
Drone deliveries are typically much faster than traditional methods because they don’t have to compete for traffic and can be deployed quickly.
Best drone for emergency response
According to a survey conducted by bard collegethe most popular drones used law enforcement, Firefighter,others public security organ It’s a DJI drone. This is not surprising as they are a leading drone manufacturer and have developed many great drones over the years.
There are a variety of drones used for emergencies such as search and rescue and situational awareness.Good prosumer drones like most of DJI’s Mavic and Phantom series of drones and the latest models from Autel Robotics will suffice.
These drones come with high-definition cameras with excellent zoom capabilities and can stream live HD video footage to your mobile device. Many of them come with autonomous flight modes that allow first responders to plan flight paths and record which areas have been covered.
Some drones, such as the DJI Mavic 2 Advanced, Autel Evo 2 Dual, and Parrot Anafi USA, come with high-resolution RGB cameras and infrared camera.
However, many of these drones have limited flight times, especially for critical purposes such as serac and rescue missions, and most prosumer drones cannot fly in wet weather, which can hinder SAR operations. There is also
There are drones designed for commercial operations, and they come with many advanced features that make them ideal for disaster response situations.
One of the best drones is the latest DJI Matrice 30T. This is a compact foldable drone with a multi-sensor payload including RGB. infrared camera Also a laser rangefinder and a night vision camera.
It is an all-weather drone that can operate in the harshest conditions, with a flight time of 40 minutes and a transmission range of 15 km.
The drone has multiple safety features such as omni-directional obstacle avoidance and ADB-S receiver, and several redundant systems in place.
There are several other drones in the Matrice range, such as the 210RTK and 300RTK, both of which have similar capabilities to the 30T.
Equipped with high-definition cameras and GPS correction technology that provides accurate georeferencing data such as RTK, Matrice drones can also be used to map disaster areas.
There are drones specially developed for mapping, PPK/RTK technologylong flight times, cameras with large sensors.
The most popular drone for mapping is DJI’s Phantom 4 RTK. Wingtra One Fixed Wing VTOL Drone SenseFly’s eBee X mapping drone.
final thoughts
As we have seen, drones play a major role in disaster response and relief efforts. Although they have yet to be widely adopted in these scenarios, the benefits they provide are beyond doubt.
