Emergency

Drones as First Responder (DFR) tech specialist Aerodome has secured $21.5 million in Series A funding to enhance its solutions and expand its engineering and go-to-market teams. The funding round, led by CRV with contributions from Andreessen Horowitz, Karman Ventures, Immad Akhund, and Ford Street Ventures, brings Aerodome’s total funding to $28 million since its seed round in October 2023.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Verizon Frontline have signed a new three-year R&D agreement to find faster ways to use drones and share footage of damage caused by severe storms like tornadoes or hurricanes.

Specialized UAV public safety and emergency program consultancy Skyfire has announced the opening of its dedicated facility for drone first responder (DFR) training, covering a wide range of scenarios for existing and adopting operators.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) says it has successfully tested how drones can be used to enhance safety and efficiency in avalanche mitigation efforts by triggering two man-made slides.

Were there any lingering doubt about the contribution drones can make to emergency response activity, it has now been dispelled by a Lancet study of Swedish drone startup Everdrone’s performance in rushing life-saving defibrillators (AEDs) to cardiac arrest victims.

Surf Life Saving NSW, a water safety and emergency rescue organization in Australia, is trialing new drone technology to look for missing bushwalkers or people swept into rough seas.

In the wake of the city’s recent decision to introduce permitting procedures expected to ease its notoriously tight drone restrictions, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has moved to expand its own fleet by procuring cutting-edge BRINC tactical UAVs designed for use in critical situations to reduce threat to human lives.

Canadian UAV hardware and software company Draganfly has reinforced its emphatic support of Ukraine in its battle against invading Russian forces with the delivery of the first of three Situational Assessment Drones for the nation’s emergency and rescue units.

Global drone and photography giant DJI is alerting clients of a new software upgrade for its enterprise and first responder Matrice 30 series, including associated accessories and apps.

European drone research and promotion organization AiRMOUR has released the results of its large opinion survey of sector stakeholders and members of the public on attitudes toward use of UAVs in different activities – particularly in response to medical emergencies. While not necessarily surprising, the findings bode well for increased acceptance of the craft operating in European Union skies in future.

Tampa Bay drone and robotic services company FLYMOTION has joined the expanding list of homegrown and national businesses and emergency responder organizations now hard at work to locate and care for survivors, and assist large areas of southwest Florida start recovering from the devastating passage of Hurricane Ian.

Ian, which made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, has left catastrophic damage in its wake. As rescue crews and disaster relief groups jump-start recovery in the region, drones have emerged as a critical force multiplier for damage assessment and search and rescue efforts.

A research project experimenting with drones to identify overexerted athletes in states of distress turned into a real-life emergency medical response operation last weekend, when UAVs deployed to monitor the Montréal Marathon spotted an exhausted runner collapsing.

European UAV research and innovation organization AiRMOUR has launched a series of tests using drones – including an EHang air taxi – to substantiate the potential advantages of the craft in responding to life-threatening medical emergencies.

Specialized UAV consulting firm Skyfire has formed a partnership with drone management and collaboration software specialist DroneSense to offer public safety agencies a range of packages designed to facilitate the launch of first responder small craft programs.

Vertical Aerospace is teaming up with fellow UK company Babcock International to explore a range of potential deployment scenarios of Vertical’s VX4 electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including cargo transport, defense operations, and emergency medical services (EMS).

Specialized Atlanta-based UAV consulting firm Skyfire is itself launching into aerial action with the release of its SF2 drone, which is designed and manufactured specifically for public safety and critical sector operators.

For all those first responders out there who’ve been a bit tardy in taking advantage of a nice opportunity, here’s good news. Connecticut-based UAV tech, cloud, and software solutions provider Aquiline Drones has announced it is extending its offer to provide free pilot training and education to emergency and rescue workers for another six months.

Emergency response solutions specialist Carbyne has teamed up with visual augmentation firm Edgybees to offer enhanced, real-time imagery during calamities. The service is designed to enrich live videos from drones and provide crisis managers with better, fuller information about developing emergencies their responders will be encountering.

Residents and visitors of Ocracoke Island prize the calm and seclusion its remoteness affords. Yet that distance from off North Carolina’s coast also makes getting supplies to locals facing emergency extreme weather difficult – a problem drones may help Ocracoke solve.

Korean Air is providing fire fighting and rescue services at a popular vacation destination two of its hybrid drones. The craft’s mix of battery and internal combustion power will increase the length of missions flown, and enhance the craft’s resistance to rough weather conditions.