Drones
Coverage of ways unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are changing how state and local government collects data on physical infrastructure, maps jurisdictions via GIS and monitors public safety from the sky. Also includes stories about efforts by private-sector companies and education institutions to improve how drones can better help government deliver services.
North Carolina high school students will be able to qualify for job interviews with the drone delivery company Zipline as part of a new partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
The department bought six drones this year after voters approved Proposition E, which lets police use surveillance cameras and drones to pursue felony and violent misdemeanor suspects. The drones facilitated three arrests in July.
The local government will soon offer automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by air. The program was paid for with a $4 million grant from the American Heart Association and is in addition to existing AEDs in public places.
The drone program would, officials hope, enable law enforcement to respond more rapidly to ongoing crime scenes, and potentially help track suspects. The project has been in talks since June 2023.
Built with about $150,000 in strategic investment funds and opened in June 2023, the University of Texas at San Antonio's outdoor drone enclosure is growing in popularity for research across several departments.
The Elk Grove Police Department plans to add three aerial drones to assist in the line of duty, a trend that many law enforcement agencies have recently adopted to contribute to service.
Although the exact date has yet to be finalized, the Silicon Valley drone technology company Matternet will launch its pilot program in its Northern California home city later this year.
Amid a shortage of human lifeguards, drones equipped with flotation devices will be helping New York City lifeguards rescue swimmers in distress this summer season, city officials said Saturday.
Recreational drone flights are, generally, legal in the Pacific Northwest city. However, hobbyists looking to fly in city parks must secure permission from the city parks director. Much the same is true in Pierce County, which includes Tacoma.
The technology is intended to do a better job of scrutinizing lines — and to save money. It is believed to be the first such use of the combination in the state of Michigan, the Macomb County Public Works commissioner said.
