AirSentinel makes drone ID app free to public safety units in DroneResponders partnership

Public safety and emergency response organizations using drones in their work will find it easier – and much less expensive – to monitor the airspace around them during their work thanks to a new partnership between UAV remote identification tech specialist AirSentinel, and the nonprofit DroneResponders association.

A unit of the Airborne International Response Team organization, DroneResponsers has a long record of promoting UAV deployment in public safety and emergency intervention. It is now extending that activism in its tie-up with AirSentinel, under which a range of police, fire, EMT, disaster assistance, and other services that respond to critical situations will have free access to the startup’s remote ID and airspace monitoring app.

Currently available only for Android and Windows-based devices, AirSentinel’s application uses crowdsourcing methods to gather remote identification of drones. That data is then distributed through the company’s cloud database to users wanting full awareness of UAV activity in their areas of operation – an access that will be offered gratis to public safety and first responder groups through DroneResponder’s partnership.

According to a press release on their accord, DroneResponders says immediate and complimentary use of AirSentinel’s tech will provide public safety drone operators “real-time access to vital remote identification data.” That is designed to both ensure the safety of their aerial operations, and enable reinforced “shared situational awareness across their respective jurisdictions.”

Access to AirSentinel’s app is free to public drone pilots. While the press release doesn’t say so explicitly, the startup is now expected to offer complementary Authorized User status usually costing $1,000 to official DroneResponder-associated public safety organizations. In the past, the startup has routinely waived those fees for government agencies requesting accounts.

Among other advantages, premium AirSentinel status allows the creation of watchlists for specific, potentially troublesome drones; receipt and sending of real-time SMS and email notifications whenever those tagged UAVs are detected nearby; and use of ground stations providing airspace monitoring for up to five miles around.

“This collaboration with AirSentinel to provide a no-cost remote identification tool is an exciting development,” said DroneResponders director Charles Werner. “It will significantly contribute to safety measures by enabling public safety agencies to detect remote ID-compliant drones and disseminate this crucial information through cloud technology.”

AirSentinel co-CEO Alan Erickson said the partnership with DroneResponders was an outgrowth of the startup’s work to ensure safe drone operation not only for private users, but also the public safety and first responder services working to protect them.

“By granting cost-free access to our suite of services, we are empowering those who operate drones in emergency response and mission-critical situations to heighten safety and situational awareness,” said Erickson. “This initiative transcends mere technological advancement; it is a concerted effort to materially enhance safety and positively influence lives.”