One of the primary things residents of a community want is assurance that sufficient safety and life-saving measures are in place.
That’s why a community such as Columbus invests in law enforcement, firefighting and medical services.
Residents also want to know that such agencies have the tools needed to do their jobs well to serve the public.
So, it should be heartening that Columbus Fire Department added an important piece of life-saving equipment to its tool box that benefits other first-responder agencies and all local residents.
Since June, Columbus Fire Department has been using unmanned aerial vehicles — better known as drones — to help with safety efforts.
The fire department has two drones: One is a basic model, and the other has high-tech features such as thermal imaging capabilities to detect people at night.
Columbus Fire Department has invested more than $30,000 to purchase the equipment and train firefighters how to use it, in getting the drone program up and running.
One of the primary benefits is saving time. Previously, if the fire department or another first responder agency needed an aerial view to search for a missing person, they had to wait for a helicopter to arrive. Now a search can begin in short order — at a time when every second counts.
Roughly a month ago, the fire department used a drone to aid in the search of a 9-year-old girl who was reported missing near her school. A few weeks before that, the fire department used a drone to search for a missing canoeist.
The drones also can be used to provide aerial images of crash sites, examinations of hazardous materials spills and for training purposes.
It’s in the best interests of local first-responder agencies to consider technology that’s available to them and how it could help them protect and serve local residents.
Thankfully, drones are considered a valuable life-saving tool locally.
