New First Response Drone Unveiled

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Emergency dispatch centers and first responders seek better technology to help them gain more information from calls and to better communicate overall with residents needing assistance. A new emergency response drone recently unveiled could offer a solution for police and fire departments.

Public safety agencies in the U.S. are working to upgrade their emergency response and dispatch technology, in large part to get more information to first responders as they arrive at scenes, and to improve location data, according to govtech.com. 

Launched by the startup Paladin, the Knighthawk custom-made drone along with accompanying Watchtower software is meant to enable first responders to obtain overhead video of crime and other emergency scenes, helping law enforcement, fire and medical personnel respond more efficiently.

The drone carries two cameras — one optical, one thermal — and has a service radius of three square miles. Navigation is done via trained first responder professionals working for the particular public agency, with drones being directed by digital maps and by dropping pins onto those maps.

The live feed can be sent to anyone who needs it, and the drone cameras are pointed forward during flight to an emergency response area because of privacy and safety concerns, according to the company. The drone feed goes to a dedicated screen at a dispatch center and can be shared via mobile devices used by emergency responders.