Omdia: Drone usage in public safety takes flight in 2022

Drone usage in public safety is still in very early days, particularly for beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) usage. Omdia expects that 2022 will see this begin to change, with increasing uptake of drone usage within public safety settings.

Early adopters such as Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) in the US have shown that drones used as first responders can increase officer and community safety while reducing overall police response times.

In the UK, drones have been successfully used to tackle traditionally difficult to police actions including illegal hunting operations. Fire services have also been early adopters by, equipping drones with thermal sensors to help first responders detect heat signatures to locate people and fire hotspots at incidents.

The sophistication of deployment is expected to continue to grow in 2022 as regulatory barriers for BVLOS steadily fall, and public safety organizations become more familiar with best practices for drone usage. 

Ultimately, the first initial steps, regulatory approval and proven case studies, have laid the groundwork for further uptake in this area. Barriers remain, particularly no-fly zones and a lack of qualified drone pilots, however, both can be worked around and overcome, with drones eventually taking a larger role within public safety agency response. The days of the drone first responder and drone-only response may be just around the corner.