Santa Rosa’s police are considering the use of drones for first responders in certain crimes and natural disasters.
A community meeting to discuss the possibilities will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at the City of Santa Rosa Utilities Field Operations Building, 35 Stony Point Road. The topic will also be aired at 9 a.m. Jan. 28 at the Public Safety Subcommittee Meeting in City Hall’s Council Chamber.
Drones equipped with cameras, thermal sensors and other technology could “provide immediate assistance in emergencies, often before traditional first responders (such as paramedics, firefighters, or police) can reach the scene,” police said in a press release Friday.
“In these programs, drones are deployed quickly to assess situations, gather real-time data, and provide aerial views of emergency scenes, which helps inform the response and decision-making processes.”
Drones could also give authorities access to remote or hard-to-reach areas such as rough terrain, flooded regions, or collapsed buildings, police said. They’re also far less expensive to operate than helicopters and other vehicles.
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