County adding public safety drones

NORRISTOWN » In recent years, drones have proven to be a valuable asset to emergency personnel in dealing with major incidents, and the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety — aided by funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

— has purchased, and will soon place into service, a pair of DJI Inspire 1 drones.

The drones can be employed in a variety of fire, Hazmat and police emergency situations, said Jason Wilson, deputy director of emergency management for the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety.

Thermal imagining and powerful zooming capabilities can detect a person trapped in a smoke-filled room or assist the police department in a search for a an Alzheimer’s patient who might be wandering aimlessly around a wooded area at night.

In a firefighting scenario, the drone’s compact size and maneuverability give an incident commander “a view of the fire scene he would not have otherwise,” said Wilson.

Suppose, he continued, firefighters on the scene of a factory fire are alerted that it’s too dangerous to remain on the site and that they need to evacuate the building immediately. The drone, with its video capabilities, could be sent in to examine the scene and locate hot spots and other threats without imperiling the firefighters themselves.

On Montgomery County’s numerous rail lines, there is the potential for derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials, said John Waters II, chief of operations of the county’s Hazardous Materials Response Team.

Since a drone can fly at an altitude of 400 feet, it is capable of hovering over an incident and transmitting a bird’s-eye view of the situation.

“We could see if something is burning on or near the train and take appropriate action. Sending the drone to the incident is a lot easier and safer than sending members of the Hazmat team,” Waters added.

When an incident occurs, Wilson explained, two qualified emergency personnel — either from emergency management or the hazardous material unit — are pressed into action.

“It’s a two-man operation,” he said. “One person operates the drone. The second is an observer whose job is to ensure that there are no impediments, such as power lines, that could place the drone in a situation that effectively prevents it from doing its job.”