OBSERVATION

WILDFIRE local_fire_department

Summary of Use

For wildfires and firefighters, drones can be deployed to assess damage, hotspots, and other critical pieces of information via attached sensors and cameras before the first responders reach the scene. These drones also improve efficiency and safety along with helping first responders in adverse environmental situations, such as low light conditions or thick smoke.

Links to Look At

1. Drones vs. California's wildfires: How they're helping firefighters

2. How California Air Resource Board and CAL FIRE are using drones to fight fires

3. New Drone Technology Adds To Growing Uses In Wildfire, Urban Firefighting

4. Drones used to track vegetation fires in East Bay Hills before they become wildfires

HAZMATbiotech

Summary of Use

Drones allow for improved mitigation strategies, such as enhanced safety and time efficiency when dealing with the hazardous material. Since hazmat situations often require people to enter the scene in fully encapsulated protective suits, having drones allows first responders to scope out the situation and understand the dangers present in the environment through a variety of payload sensors and cameras all while keeping first responders out of danger.

Links to Look At

1. Evacuation order lifted in Decatur after soybean plant mishap

2. How Drones Are Reshaping HAZMAT Response

CAR CRASH & DAMAGEcar_crash

Summary of Use

For car crashes, drones are able to give a unique advantage to first responders as drones are able to scan the path of damage and caputre hundreds of close-up images through payload cameras and sensors to give first responders a much better idea of the hollistic damage.

Links to Look At

1. DRONES GET CAR CRASH DATA FASTER TO KEEP DRIVERS SAFE

2. Drones could be rolled out as new weapon to catch speeding drivers

3. How to use drones for crime and accident scene documentation

LIFE GUARDpool

Summary of Use

For car crashes, drones are able to give a unique advantage to first responders as drones are able to scan the path of damage and caputre hundreds of close-up images via attached sensors and cameras to give first responders a much better idea of the hollistic damage.

Links to Look At

1. Pennsylvania Fire Department Launches Dive Rescue Drones

2. A Drone Is Swooping In To Assist Lifeguards On Lake Michigan

3. 'Eagle eye' technology keeping beach goers safe in Cornwall

SEARCH & RESCUE

MISSING PERSONSgroup_off

Summary of Use

In the case of a missing person, drones are efficiently able to search through large areas with high definition video via attached payload cameras regardless of the environmental conditions in the area, which allows for more efficient and safe search and rescue operations.

Links to Look At

1. Sumner County authorities use drone to save man’s life

2. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office utilizes drones to revolutionize search and rescue operations

DISASTER WARNING & RESCUEflood

Summary of Use

Drones provide a variety of advantages when it comes to disaster responses as they are able to provide nearly real time data via payload cameras and sensors to first responders to make better informed decisions on the ground and increase situational awareness, can operate in dangerous environments without putting first responders' lives at risk, cover large areas, and technical data via sensors.

Links to Look At

1. How emergency crews are deploying drones in disaster scenarios

2. Disaster Zone - Using Drones in Emergency Management

3. QFES crews use drone technology for flood rescues during 2022 disaster | 7NEWS

What are tethered drones?

Tethered drones are drones who are physically attached to a station or base on the ground. These tethers are usually special wires which connect directly to the power source and allow for unlimited flight time as long as the drone is connected to the tether. Tethers come in a variety of complexities, ranging from thin cords similar to fishing wire to power wiring. Ground control operators are able to use the tether to control the flight of a drone and have it navigate safely.

What are the benefits of a tethered drones?

There are several benefits to using a tethered drone - they are less likely to crash, have longer flight times, are easier to fly, and can reach much higher altitudes.

When do you want to use a tethered drone?

Tethered Drones are ideal when your primary focus is on aerial and video photography. This is because they are much easier to control and last much longer without needing to be charged. Their typical use cases are focused on observation, criminal tracking and creating response strategies for emergency response teams.

Source:https://droneflying101.com/tethered-drones-everything-you-need-to-know/

Most non-tethered drones can become tethered.

There are several popular UAV tethering systems which are avilabile.

1. FUSE Tether System

2. Elistair Tethers

3. FoxTech T3500 Tether System

4. PowerLine Tether System

Source:https://blog.dronetrader.com/drone-tethering-systems-worth-checking-out/

How to tell which drones are tethered on the drone selector tool?

Tethered

There are tags (like the one above) on the card that indicate if the drone is tethered for the drone information cards.