Police, fire, and search-and-rescue teams putting drones to work when minutes matter.
A DJI Matrice 400 drone equipped with a dual payload played a decisive role in rescuing two people who fell through the ice on Saginaw Bay Wednesday evening, after their snowmobile broke through more than a mile from shore, as reported by ABC12. Emergency crews from the Standish Area Fire Authority were dispatched to the…
I’ve been tracking Florida’s disastrous DJI drone ban for over a year, and the bill is finally coming due. When we first reported on St. Cloud’s $890,000 Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program last month, the story was about the exorbitant cost of compliance. Now, new data shows the program is an operational success,…
A missing man in Campbellsville, Kentucky, was located safely Thursday night after a coordinated multi agency search that included UAV drone operations, ground teams, and emergency alerts. Campbellsville Fire Rescue confirmed the subject was found less than a quarter mile from his last known location and transported for medical evaluation with non life threatening injuries,…
Wichita police arrested a 46 year old man early Friday morning after an armed robbery at a Circle K convenience store, with a Skydio X10 police drone playing a decisive role in locating and capturing the suspect, as reported by KWCH 12 News. Officers were dispatched at 5:20 a.m. to the Circle K located at…
Autonomous drones are no longer a future promise for law enforcement. In Grand Chute, Wisconsin, police are already letting software and sensors arrive before squad cars. Since April 2025, the Grand Chute Police Department has been running a pilot drone as a first responder program, collecting real world data on how autonomous aircraft can support…
Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. I have four stories for you this week that show just how much is happening in this industry right now, from a life-saving rescue in Kentucky to regulatory changes you need to know about if you’re planning to submit a waiver. This week’s stories: Let’s get to it.…
A lost hiker was safely rescued in the McKenzie Bridge area of Oregon on December 26 thanks to a coordinated search effort that included drone technology, infrared imaging, and ground crews navigating difficult terrain. The operation highlights how unmanned aircraft systems are becoming a standard tool in modern search and rescue missions, especially in rugged…
I’ve been tracking the expansion of police counter-drone capabilities for months, and what just happened is bigger than the headlines suggest. Missouri received $14.24 million in federal funding for World Cup drone security, but that’s not the real story. The real story is that FEMA just deployed the first phase of a $500 million program…
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