Drones

Public safety agencies are using drones to provide up-to-the-minute overhead coverage for officers on the ground. Police in Dunwoody, Ga., have used them to track suspects and find incident locations.

Legislation headed to the state Senate floor would let police statewide use drones to respond to 911 calls in progress, at crash scenes ahead of arriving officers and to chase fleeing suspects.

BRINC and SkySafe will work with the tech giant to provide better drone operations for first responders, reflecting a larger trend in government. BRINC also says it has raised $75 million in a new funding round.

Drones are quickly taking on more roles in law enforcement, disaster management and other tasks. Their latest role is arriving at emergency situations before humans do, collecting information for police.

WaveAerospace is building drones to fly in weather that others cannot, including heavy winds, precipitation or even icing conditions by redistributing waste heat produced by onboard systems.

In the Carolinas, ICF drones have conducted rapid damage assessments in a 100-mile zone following Hurricane Helene as part of a geospatial initiative to speed up federal recovery funding requests.

The Oceanside Police Department has been offered grant money for a 13-month trial of new first responder drones that can soar from a downtown rooftop within seconds of a 911 call.

The University of North Dakota Center for Innovation has awarded three companies grants of $150,000 each to explore use cases for drones in undeveloped areas of the state. The project could raise new business questions.

Introduced last week, Senate Bill 303 would amend the Pennsylvania Game Code to legalize the use of “small unmanned aircraft” weighing less than 55 pounds in the recovery of game.

As some public safety agencies are experiencing more flexibility and speed in getting waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration for advanced drone programs, experts predict the use of UAS to rapidly rise.

The city’s commission has approved the purchase of three drones at a cost of more than $15,000. Police, who have 10 licensed drone pilots, will use them in searches, rescues, and to follow fleeing suspects.

Georgia state lawmakers are advancing multiple bills with the potential to further regulate drone operations across the state, citing ongoing concerns over public safety and national security.

As more police agencies and other operations turn to drones, the skies are increasingly crowded with the machines. Involi’s new platform, now operating in Dallas, uses real-time data to help keep those skies safe.

Through a combination of vehicle, drone and in-person imagery, the New York State Electric & Gas company is examining its infrastructure. The work will be used to recommend equipment replacement and upgrades.

The White House said Tuesday the null late last year were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration for “research and various other reasons.”

Marines used their new hunter-killer system to blast dozens of target drones out of the sky Saturday over a training ground on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Officials in the southern Illinois city’s public works and fire departments are collaborating to augment usual inspections with clear aerial views of any damage. Their work could become a disaster response and recovery staple.

Drone technology is rapidly transforming government operations, but agencies face a complex web of challenges from navigating new regulations and security threats to harnessing AI and counter-drone technology.