In recent years, the use of drones for search and rescue (SAR) has helped rescue hundreds of people around the world. SAR crews that incorporate drone use in search and rescue planning can cover larger areas, including those potentially inaccessible or dangerous to first responders. And drones can help SAR crews do this in less time and with more precision. When it comes to the use of search and rescue drones, the near real-time data provided to first responders can augment rescue missions and help inform ground patrol.
Why drone use in search and rescue is a game changer
Search and rescue missions are often unpredictable and a race against the clock. Rescues conducted solely on foot and with ground vehicles, while still effective, may be operating with an information deficit compared to agencies that utilize drones for search and rescue.
Search and rescue drones provide more than just a powerful camera from a bird's eye view; they can be equipped with several different payloads that provide additional information to rescuers on the ground.
Enhanced data
Thermal imaging cameras can help crews locate missing persons by tracking the heat signature and send data provided to ground crews in near real-time. In August 2021, first responders were able to locate a man with a severe head injury after a motorcycle crash with a deer with the use of a thermal imaging camera attached to a drone.
Near real-time data provided by search and rescue drones gives responders a better understanding of the searchable area. For instance, 4K HD cameras can provide high-resolution images of the terrain to ground crews, which can provide a substantial level of detail critical to decision-making. Geographic mapping of a location in near real-time helps aid first responders as they traverse wild areas. Enhanced data capabilities can help lead to informed decisions about how and where to deploy SAR crews.
Quick deployment
The technology involved in search and rescue drones has advanced rapidly. This includes a rapid increase in flight time and range. Many models currently available on the market can reach speeds exceeding 50 mph, with a range of 6 miles and a flight time of up to 90 minutes. The same coverage could take ground crews days to search, which could be too late to rescue the missing person.
In July 2022, an 89-year-old Florida woman with dementia went missing from her home after she climbed out a window undetected in the middle of the night. By the time police were alerted, she had been gone for several hours. However, within 20 minutes of a search and rescue drone launch, the device's thermal imaging camera captured the woman's heat signature, and with the help of the K-9 unit, she was found safe.
Interaction
Search and rescue drones can also be equipped to interact with the environment, even as far as contacting victims and relaying information or providing rescue supplies.
Spotlights
Most drones are equipped with spotlights that can flood an area with light and help first responders pinpoint the exact location of a victim. When a teenage kayaker became lost in a dense swamp section of a Rhode Island river that made it difficult for rescue crews to reach her, a drone's spotlight helped lead her back up the river to a location where first responders were waiting.
Communication
A loudspeaker attached to a search and rescue drone allows first responders to relay directions or offer support to victims on the ground. This technology can also help guide victims out of remote areas that may be difficult for ground crews to navigate or reach.
Resource delivery
One of the biggest impacts of drone use in search and rescue operations is the ability to deliver resources or supplies to waiting victims or rescue crews on the ground. In June 2021, a drone operated by a Fire Department in Oregon delivered a life jacket to a woman clinging to a log in a river while she waited for rescue crews to make their way to her.
Safety
Drones for search and rescue operations can also help protect the health and safety of ground crews by replacing traditionally human-reported data with near real-time aerial data. When a snowboarder required rescue at North Fork Park in Utah, a drone helped quickly find the man and helped map out a safe path that was sent to rescuers' phones.
According to a government team that assesses drones for search and rescue operations, drones offer the convenience of a large SAR crew without potentially putting more people in harm's way.
Getting the most out of drone use in search and rescue operations
For ground crews, utilizing near real-time data delivered by a drone is dependent upon their ability to access the information through a secure network connection, which can be difficult when conducting search and rescue operations in remote or wild areas. The capabilities of search and rescue drones are expanding as the technology advances, such as better quality video, longer flight times and expanded flight ranges, all of which could allow first responders to safely reach victims in less time, with better information.
In July 2021, Verizon Frontline unveiled the Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response (THOR) vehicle, a rapid-response command center built with Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband and mobile edge computing. The command vehicle is designed to maintain connectivity under nearly any condition and has the ability to integrate with commercial drone applications. THOR is also equipped with a tethered drone for risk assessment and disaster response.
And, in the latest in its line of next-generation public safety communications innovations, Verizon introduced THOR's Hammer, a 30-foot trailer that can serve as a standalone (SA) or non-stand alone (NSA) private 5G network, which can be managed from inside the trailer. For example, THOR’s Hammer could be positioned at an emergency operations center while THOR moves deep into a forest during a response effort. THOR’s Hammer is built to leverage the network and technology of Verizon Frontline, including Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband (UW), along with additional applications and advanced computing solutions such as network slicing capabilities.
Learn how Verizon Frontline, the advanced network for first responders, is working to bring public safety agencies the reliable connectivity they need.
The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.