Calvert County Sheriff’s Office puts DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones to fight Coronavirus

In Maryland, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office puts DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones to use during the Coronavirus outbreak. Calvert County Sheriff’s office is not new to the use of drones. Their drone program is not even one year old, but during that time they have flown over 560 separate drone missions to locate missing persons, to map crash and crime scenes and to provide watch at special events.

With the rapidly expanding Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., the Sheriff’s Office drone pilots are being called upon now more than ever before, reports the BayNet.

The drone operations have changed somewhat with new types of missions. For instance, the unmanned aircraft are used to provide extra lighting to EMS Personnel on scenes, to deliver public service announcements, to provide locations of the county’s homeless populations to First Responders.

The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office submitted an application on March 25th to DJI as part of the DJI U.S. Disaster Relief Program that aims to get unmanned aircraft an additional resources in the hands of trained drone pilots quickly, at no cost to the agencies involved.

By March 31st, 2020, the Sheriff’s Office had received no less than three DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones that were put to use right away.

DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones to fight Coronavirus

During their first day of operation on April 1st, the drone pilots logged no less and 2 hours of flight time. The initial flights were focused on some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, the homeless.

The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones were used not only to locate the populations but also to map the quickest routes to and from the camps.

The drone pilots also identified the best Fire and EMS staging locations that would provide the best access in case of a medical emergency.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to use the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones, that can be outfitted with loudspeakers, to make important public service announcements to those who are sheltering in place.

“Unmanned aerial systems have become a force multiplier for our department. Three DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise aircraft we received from DJI’s Relief Program will ensure that Sheriff’s Office pilots play a critical role in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans.

Furthermore, the drones will be used to patrol the county’s shorelines that are traditionally hard to access. The use of drones and their ability to cover large areas of ground quickly will reduce the Sheriff’s Office workload.

Photo credit: BayNet