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The benefits of drones in the public sector

Blog
Laura Megson
16 Aug 2022

Drones, which have soared in popularity over recent years, are more commonly used as a hobby toy for younger generations but what most of us don’t realise is that these cutting-edge flying machines are an extremely valuable asset to the public sector.

How can public sector services benefit from the use of drones?

Drones can support cost elements to departments that deal in areas of infrastructure. For example, the latest drones can easily reach structural heights in minutes that would otherwise require scaffolding which is time-consuming to erect and requires safety equipment checks. Drones are also fitted with a high-resolution camera which can capture vital images of structural damage to builds and bridges.

The video capture and aerial footage minimize disruption and can assess the damage much quicker, which aids in effective and efficient processes. They not only make the job easier, but they also support the welfare of public sector employees as they can gain access to areas of contamination such as waterways and sewers where health and safety protective wear would need to be worn.

Both military operations and emergency services teams utilise drones, a key example being search and rescue teams, who rely on such technology to view accidents from obscure angles which are otherwise unachievable. Having access to aerial images enables rescue teams to assess each unique situation and plan a safe rescue. Take a look at our top 10 animal rescues blog to see some of the weird and wonderful rescues our fire services face regularly.

The fire department also use drones to assess the spread of fires on large-scale buildings, which would be impossible to see from the ground or with the use of other general equipment. Drones are a vital eye in the sky, and when fitted with thermal imaging cameras, police can track people who are attempting to escape custody as the camera drones can pick up heat signatures when someone is hiding in the undergrowth. Much to the dismay of wrongdoers, drones are also used as surveillance in many other areas of policing.

As exciting as all that sounds, this is only a handful of examples that highlight the importance of the development of technology and how drones support public services!

Developing a new solution

Whilst the current Drones framework is fit for purpose, we are currently developing a new solution to go live in early 2023. We hope this will bring more suppliers/providers to the market and enable our customers to specify their exact requirements in a very flexible way.

If you would like to find out more information about the development of our new solution, please get in touch with our team.

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Author

Laura Megson

Category Buyer for Emergency Services

YPO