In an emergency, information saves lives. For many emergency responders, drones are now being used to gather that information quickly and safely. Frontier Precision, an industry leader in geospatial measurement technology, works with customers in the public safety sector to ensure that they can get the data they need to operate safely and use resources effectively.
“Drones are highly effective in so many situations,” said Tom Simmons, public safety UAS specialist with Frontier Precision. “For a fire, they can map its size, movement and the location of hot spots. In search and rescue operations, a child lost in a cornfield or wooded area can be hidden from view. But their heat signatures can’t be hidden. A drone’s thermal imagery can locate them, day or night. The high-resolution cameras can tell if a heat signature is from a rabbit, a deer, or a person.”
In addition to search and rescue, thermal imagery and high resolution can locate people who don’t want to be found. Suspects fleeing on foot tend to run a short distance and then hide. In these situations, one of the biggest benefits of drone use is officer safety. A drone can get eyes on suspects so the officers know how many there are, where they’re located, and whether they’re armed. For suspects fleeing in a vehicle, the drone’s camera can read a license plate from a quarter of a mile away.
Simmons and Klarenbeek got a first-hand demonstration of drone use after a natural disaster when a tornado caused extensive damage to their hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota in September. “The next day, the emergency management team used a drone to map and assess the damage,” said Simmons. “The images showed where trees and power lines were down, and which buildings and roads were damaged. Emergency management used the information to plan their response, and also released the images to the media so the public could see the extent of the damage and know the areas of danger to avoid.”
Frontier Precision’s involvement with public safety personnel starts before the purchase, and continues long after. “Our customers often have to make the case for buying a drone,” said Simmons.
“We help them with budgeting and communicating the benefits of a drone program to decision-makers, like a city council or county commission. They often need to have policies and usage procedures in place for all their equipment, so we help them develop that as well. We help them choose the drone that’s right for their needs, and we make sure they get the training they need to use it safely and effectively.”
For public safety professionals who contact Frontier Precision about starting a drone program, seeing is believing. “In demonstrations, the drones sell themselves,” said Klarenbeek. “When potential customers see what they can do, the benefits are clear, and we work with them to get a program in place to ensure that the drone is used safely and effectively. We know that we’re doing that successfully, because our biggest source of new customers is referrals from current customers.”
“Some smaller public safety agencies may think a drone is out of their reach, but we help them find solutions,” said Simmons. “For example, a county emergency management office may be able to buy a drone and have it available for all their first responders across all agencies. We know what a drone program can do for public safety professionals and for the people they protect, and we’ll work with them to make it happen.”
About Frontier Precision
Frontier Precision is an employee-owned company with 30 years of experience serving survey, mapping, engineering, construction, GIS, forensics, law enforcement, forestry, water resources, mosquito and vector control, and natural resources professionals. As one of the top Geospatial Trimble dealers in the world, Frontier Precision has been at the forefront of technology. The company is providing valuable business solutions in the areas of UAS/Drones, laser-based scanning, 3-D visualization, and virtual reality. Headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota with locations in South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii, Frontier Precision has secured a place on the
map for their best-in-class team, training support, and attention to customer needs. For more information about Frontier Precision, go to www.frontierprecision.com.
To contact a Frontier Precision UAS Public Safety specialist, call Tom Simmons at 605-221-4400 or 605-413-3741. [email protected].
