DroneResponders, a non-profit program that supports public safety UAS, has announced that it has surpassed 600 member public safety agencies that are operating UAS.

To recognize this milestone, the Florida-based program has launched its Fall 2019 Public Safety UAS research survey, which is designed to collect data from various organizations that use UAS for public safety missions, including emergency management, fire response and law enforcement.

Expected to be open through Sept. 15, the survey, which is open to all organizations with a public safety UAS program, consists of a series of questions that will help provide a better understanding of the current public safety UAS landscape. After the survey data has been processed and analyzed, critical findings will be released in the weeks afterwards.

“Our roster of public safety agencies using unmanned aircraft systems continues to grow daily,” says Christopher Todd, a DroneResponders analyst and advisor who also serves as the Executive Director of AIRT.

“It has been amazing to see the incredible response the program has received from public safety professionals throughout the world.”

Headed by Chief Charles Werner (ret.), DroneResponders launched in April 2019 to help support public safety UAS programs and flight operations. The program has more than 600 member agencies and organizations from 25 countries.

“This feels like more of a movement than a program,” Werner says.

“The level of support we have been receiving from all corners of the unmanned systems and public safety sectors has been amazing. We are very thankful for the new partnerships that we continue to forge to help public safety UAS.”

Todd says that the growing number of public safety agencies participating in DroneResponders will provide the program with a better understanding of the exact needs of the public safety UAS sector as a whole.

“Up until now, we have spoken about public safety UAS as one large group,” Todd says.

“While that group is united under the flag of public safety, the fact is that law enforcement, fire rescue personnel, and search teams often have different use cases and needs for their drone operations. We want to drill down into those subsets and uncover their trends and needs.”