With the roads blocked this week in the Washington weather, one solution for public safety might have been the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, or sUAS, also sometimes called drones. The use of small drones has taken center stage in some industries such as retail and oil and gas. But drones would also be a natural fit for emergency services.
Some states are starting to embrace this concept. Utah’s emergency management agency is starting to explore using drones to bolster search and rescue services. And it’s not just a matter of having the fire department own a drone. In Utah, they are tapping into the huge drone hobbyist community by giving them the tools and training needed to help report information to first responders.