New Disaster Relief Program Will Provide Emergency Responders With DJI Drone Technology And Training

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, has unveiled a new Disaster Relief Program to support first responders in the United States with access to DJI’s industry-leading drone technology, for response and recovery efforts during and after major disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and local emergencies.

Drones are a critical aerial technology that has been proven to help search, rescue and recovery teams find victims faster, while also helping to keep them from harm’s way. Drones have been widely used to spot people in distress, to inspect infrastructure such as roads, bridges and power lines, and to assess damage and create high-resolution maps after recent disasters such as hurricanes Florence, Irma and Harvey as well as California wildfires, including the Camp Fire in Paradise and the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa.

“This program builds on DJI’s growing commitment to the public safety industry, as more than 900 public safety organizations across the United States, including the Los Angeles Fire Department, are deploying DJI drones for lifesaving activities,” said Romeo Durscher, Director of Public Safety Integration at DJI. “To date, at least 278 people around the world have been rescued from peril by drones and this program will ensure that many more lives are saved by mitigating the risks to emergency responders on the ground and on the front lines of natural disasters.”

Public safety agencies across the US have learned that drone data delivers value long after the immediate disaster conditions subside, by providing aerial maps that help crews effectively plan debris removal and reconstruction, giving utility crews repair assessments so they can restore power faster, and speeding up homeowner insurance claims by providing documented proof of damage.

Through the Disaster Relief Program, DJI will work with pre-selected US-based partners to equip state and local public safety agencies with its leading hardware and software technologies. Initial participants in the program include government agencies as well as strategic partners that frequently work alongside these agencies:

Los Angeles Fire Department, a DJI Solution Development Partner and one of the largest fire departments using drone technology for fire prevention and emergency response.
Menlo Park Fire Protection District, one of DJI’s first solution development partners and an innovative and leading organization in the development of well trained and experienced personnel using a variety of drone platforms and technology in response to local emergencies and National Disasters.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, a leading law enforcement agency with extensive large-scale disaster response experience.
Public Safety Unmanned Response Team North Texas, an organization composed of drone pilots from a multitude of fire, police and emergency management entities operating almost daily on small and large-scale events, including natural disasters.
FlyMotion, a leading DJI Enterprise partner and drone service provider in the public safety sector that has previously deployed alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Axon, the global leader in connected public safety technologies and a DJI strategic partner that equips law enforcement agencies with drone technology and secure data solutions.

Drone hardware and software distributed through the program will include DJI’s most advanced technologies including the DJI Matrice 200 series and Mavic 2 Enterprise series drones, accessories and batteries, powerful visual and thermal cameras, DJI’s FlightHub drone fleet management software, and DJI AeroScope for airspace management and unauthorized drone detection and mitigation. In addition, DJI will provide technical support, repair services, and on-site manpower to help organizations more effectively and efficiently deploy drone technology in times of need.

The DJI Disaster Relief Program was announced at AirWorks 2019, DJI’s annual commercial drone conference that brings together DJI customers and its ecosystem of drone solution providers for three days to inspire, connect and energize attendees about the beneficial drone applications available to enterprises today as well as the future of the global commercial drone industry.

(Source: DJI news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.airworks2019.com