It is clear to me that Hurricane Harvey will provide a
tremendous amount of "Lessons Learned" when it comes to the use of
UAVs, the implementation and the regulatory environment during and after a
large scale disaster. I predict that Public Safety will use UAVs in many more
ways in the very near future - because this is all such new technology, the
focus has mostly been on utilizing drones during an incident. It's evident that
pre-disaster use, and as we already know, post incident data gathering are also
extremely beneficial. The mapping of levees, river beds, structures before an
incident can provide very helpful data for modeling purposes, for evacuation
and search and rescue operations. Comparing pre and post disaster data of the
same area allows researchers, scientists, engineers and city planners to
improve upon city layouts and infrastructures.
Below is an account from Menlo Park Fire Protection
District, which has several members in the Houston area, utilizing their drones
for a variety of tasks. I wanted to share this as these are the stories that
highlight the tremendous benefits of this technology and shows how our first
responders are implementing new technologies to not only help save other
people's lives and properties, but to also keep themselves more safe and
efficient. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me or Menlo
Park Fire Department, Harold Schapelhouman (Fire Chief). Read More
