HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — It was announced just over a week ago SkyFire Consultingwill be relocating their headquarters to Huntsvillle. The main purpose will be to start their "Rise Drone First Responder Village" which will provide training, testing and demonstration of drones to first responders.
Many police and fire departments across the United States, including Huntsville, already use drone technology in their daily operations. Axon says 1,400 police departments in the country use drone technology.
"We can just do a multitude of things with these drones," says Huntsville Fire & Rescue Deputy Marshal and Drone Pilot Trent Bennett, "it helps us to get the job done on our side in a way that helps to keep us safe."
Speaking of safety, this is one of the many benefits drones provide to first responders. Bennett says "If we get ways that we can kind of mitigate any situation where it keeps us safe, then we want to use it." Brandon Karr, Drone and First Responder Manager for DroneSense says, "drones are just a massive opportunity for public safety, be able to utilize this technology in a safer and more efficient manner."
When it comes to ways drones can be used by first responders, the list keeps on going. Bennett says, "when we do our mission, such a search and rescue, being able to use your thermal imaging cameras." Karr says, "It allows us to open up roadways if we're doing crash crime scene reconstruction much, much faster." Bennett also mentions how they use drones in hazmat operations, when the only way to get a look at a situation is from the sky.
