Drone's ‘eye in the sky’ view gives Manatee County first responders extra protection in disaster areas

PALMETTO, Fla. - For crews from fire rescue, EMS, law enforcement and others, the unknown can now be seen a little more clearly thanks to multiple drones that give first responders a clear picture of what they’re facing. 

"We can just fly the drone right in and provide the responding units video of what’s out there and what dangers they may be facing before they go in," said Lieutenant Cary Chapman with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Chapman said in extreme circumstances, drones can form a grid of an area cut off to first responders. "Anyone that is on the scene or connected to the internet with a computer in their vehicle can see exactly what the drone is seeing," explained Chapman. 

Manatee deputies and various fire rescue crews already use drones for search and rescue and fighting fires. Now they'll be able to guide crews into disaster areas safely. 

The video will show where damage has been done, where people may be injured or trapped and where crews need to work to clear local roadways. 

"There are certain technological hurdles that we have to jump through to make it happen, but I’m happy to say we’ve gotten a really good return on that particular project," said Lieutenant Luke Fay with East Manatee Fire Rescue. 

Fay said the drones give first responders an extra set of protection. He said, "At the end of the day, a drone is expendable and you can put drones in places where you really don’t want to put people.”