[Originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of PSC magazine.]

By Kevin Schafer

Consider a police officer arriving on the scene of a commercial burglary and immediately launching an unmanned aerial vehicle that can clear the roof of the structure in minutes. Or consider a firetruck arriving on a fire scene and a tethered drone with thermal camera launching from a cargo compartment that provides tactical information to the on-scene commander. In coming years, public safety agencies will operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS), also known as drones, on a routine basis.

The applications for the use of unmanned aircraft are evolving rapidly and public safety agencies that adopt this technology will find that UAS are a force multiplier and will be in the position to help develop a cutting edge public safety tool. Public safety agencies already operate UAS for a variety of missions, including scene documentation, aerial perspective, critical incident planning, situational awareness, tactical deployment, visual perspective and search and rescue.

Unmanned aircraft can be used to provide an aerial perspective during special event planning and then operated to provide situational awareness during the event, allowing the incident commander to direct resources effectively. The UAS transmits live video to a ground control station, which can be viewed by the pilot, incident commander or other personnel. This video and any still photographs are also recorded to storage media, usually an SD card, and can be viewed later for closer analysis or preserved as a record of the incident. In areas where manned aircraft are unavailable UAS may be the only means of gaining an aerial perspective and in jurisdictions with a manned aviation program, UAS can supplement these resources.

Indoor flight is another developing area of UAS operations. This may be in support of law enforcement tactical operations, inspections of dilapidated or damaged structures, investigation of fire scenes where the structure can no longer be entered safely or inside a structure contaminated by a hazardous material.

As UAS programs become more common, the use of unmanned aircraft in search and rescue operations has increased. The first arriving units may deploy relatively small unmanned aircraft with optical cameras that immediately provide an aerial perspective to supplement ground units and allow for an immediate and hasty search. As the search evolves, larger unmanned aircraft with sophisticated optical and thermal cameras may be deployed.

Unmanned aircraft can be especially useful in jurisdictions where public safety agencies do not have access to manned aviation or when manned aviation assets have a long response time. Unmanned aircraft will not replace manned aviation but can be used to supplement these assets. In some terrain, such as deep ravines or other areas inaccessible to manned aircraft, a UAS may be the only available option for deploying a thermal camera during the search. Large quadcopter unmanned aircraft can drop items to missing or stranded persons, such as a life vest.  Some rural public safety agencies are beginning to move beyond quadcopter unmanned aircraft with their relatively short battery life and are operating fixed-wing UAS that can remain aloft for longer periods, increasing the amount of time the unmanned aircraft can maintain the search for a missing person.

As public safety agencies develop a UAS program, one of the first priorities is to determine the types of missions the agency will fly. Once this decision is made, equipment selection can begin. Some thought should be given to the experience of the pilots who will be operating the UAS. Pilots who have little experience may be better suited to flying less expensive UAS during implementation of the program with larger more sophisticated and expensive aircraft purchased later as pilots gain experience.

The cost to an agency implementing a UAS program can run from less than $5,000 to more than $100,000. The wide range in cost is directly related to the capabilities of the UAS and the type of payload it can carry. More expensive UASs can operate in a wider range of environmental conditions and carry more sophisticated payload. Optical cameras can be used to document a scene, thermal cameras can be used during search and rescue or firefighting operations and other sensors can be used for analyzing a hazardous materials plume. Smaller agencies implementing a UAS program may start with a single UAS and build the program. Even large agencies with unmanned aircraft costing in excess of $25,000 frequently use smaller unmanned aircraft for missions that do not require a specialized payload. Small unmanned aircraft can be carried in the field by mobile units and can be flying and providing an aerial perspective before larger unmanned aircraft are transported to the scene. Many agencies are currently using consumer or prosumer unmanned aircraft that cost less than $3,000. A developing application is the use of tethered aircraft. The tether allows for continuous operation of the unmanned aircraft, eliminating the need for battery changes.

An aerial perspective can increase the effectiveness of a public safety agency’s ability to respond to or plan for critical incidents. Traditionally, manned aircraft such as helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft have been the only means of obtaining this aerial perspective. Drones are increasingly being used by public safety agencies for this purpose.

REFERENCES

• U.S. Department of Justice (December 2016). National Institute of Justice Report. Considerations and Recommendations for Implementing an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program.
• Gettinger, D. (December 6, 2018). “Public Safety Drones: An Update.” Retrieved from https://dronecenter. bard.edu/public-safety-drones-update/.

Kevin Schafer has been a police officer since 1998 and has worked for CALEA Accredited Town of Manlius (NY) Police Department since 2001. He is currently assigned as the department administrative division commander and is the UAS program manager