Verizon provides drone support in a crisis

Hurricane Ian is a recent example of how Verizon put drones into action in the face of a crisis. The support began with the need to provide situational awareness for the first responders. The drones which provide this support are equipped with video, speakers to interact with injured individuals, thermal imaging and infrared imaging to help identify the location of individuals that cannot be seen with the human eye.

Mapping applications help to provide a before and after view that allows public safety organisations to determine how to react. Photogrammetry is used to support this application. In this natural disaster, the cellular service was cut to Sanibel and Pine Islands. Tethered drones with small cell radio were able to ‘connect’ the individuals stranded in these locations with the outside world. Satellite connectivity also played a role in keeping people in these locations connected until cellular service could be fully restored.