Drones are more than a novelty and more than just a tool used to take photos and videos. In fact recently it was proven that drones have a lot more use to them and can potentially be used for rescue missions, as proven in a recent rescue effort by the Auburn Fire Department in which a drone played a key role in helping rescue some trapped rafters.While the drone wasn’t used to hoist the trapped rafters to safety, what it did was help airlift equipment such as life jackets to the rafters who were trapped on top of a rock. It also acted as a scout and lookout for when an inflatable boat was deployed to help bring the trapped men back to shore.
However it should be noted that this isn’t standard operating procedure. Instead the drone actually belonged to Fire Chief Frank Roma who used the DJI Phantom 3. It was actually his personal machine, although given the recent success of using it as a rescue tool, Roma believes that this highlights the potential of the use of drones by emergency personnel.
Speaking to WMTW, Roma was quoted as saying, “I think we’ve only begun to scratch the surface for what their full capabilities can be in the emergencies field. I was able to see exactly what the drone was seeing. I was able to direct it to where it needed to be.”
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