When Stamford’s 911 center got a call for a fire on Bedford Street the night of Oct. 10, a drone was the initial first responder on scene and fed back live video of what firefighters could expect.
“They had visual evidence of a fire on the ninth floor of an apartment building, long before our crews even got on the road in the fire truck. And the dispatch supervisor who was flying the drone at the time was able to relay that information,” explained Capt. Brian Whitbread, of the Stamford Fire Department. “It’s a difficult fire to fight, and that put them in the ready mode, which I think gave a significant head start on the activity of putting that fire out.”
That incident was just one example of Stamford's new Drone as First Responder Program in action.
“It’s a key technology tool that's being used to improve response times, to provide real time situational awareness for our emergency responders,” Mayor Caroline Simmons told News 12. “It's an excellent collaboration between our police, fire and EMS responders to help better save lives.”
Police have used mobile drones when they’re on scenes for years. The DFR program added two more to the city's fleet. The drones are automated and launch from sites in North and South Stamford, but they’re deployed and operated through the 911 center. A web-based system allows the dispatch supervisor to put in an address and press a button, sending the drone directly to the scene.
“They will fly over the city of Stamford to the incident—no traffic, no traffic lights,” Whitbread said. “We've had them on scene within about a minute, minute and a half.”
The drones provide a live feed to the 911 center, as well as to command staff's and field personnel’s phones and iPads. Some vehicles are also equipped with large screens to watch the video. The early visual assessments can help with decision-making and determining resources.
“The DFR program is a game changer as far as we're concerned,” stated police Sgt. John Derisme. “There's been at least one incident where there's a kayak overturned in Long Island Sound, and the drone was sent out there to get a better understanding of where that kayak was, to get fire personnel and rescue boats on scene."
Derisme also recalled a recent domestic violence incident where dispatch had sent a drone. The suspect had fled the home, but the drone’s heat signature technology located him hiding under some buses, Derisme said.
“At first, we didn’t understand how it would assist us in emergency medical services,” admitted Dep. Chief Bill Ackley, of Stamford EMS.
But once the program was up and running, its value became clear to Ackley.
“If we can get eyes on a scene before we arrive, we can get things like the condition of the scene, the number of patients or any circumstances that may interfere with our ability to get to patients quickly,” Ackley explained.
He said it’s been especially helpful responding to crashes on the highway.
“We were able to identify potential hazards and entry and exit routes for the scene, which we wouldn't have had just being on the ground,” Ackley told News 12.
Training on the DFR program began in May with the drones starting to get sent out on calls a few months ago, according to officials. The initiative officially went live Oct. 1, but first responders continue to conduct training exercises for different real-world situations. Those have included search and rescue operations along the city’s expansive coastline and more remote areas.
“Particularly if its rural terrain in North Stamford or across Long Island Sound, it can be hard for our emergency responders to get out quickly. This can provide instant real time situational awareness to really improve our emergency response capabilities and truly save lives,” said Simmons.