At least two search and rescue groups in B.C. are hoping to get the green light to use drones as part of their operations.
“There seems to be some obvious advantages to having the ability to put a camera in the sky and down into a crevasse,” said Michael Coyle of Coquitlam Search and Rescue.
Coyle said he would like to test the use of drones to see how they could benefit his crew.
READ MORE: B.C. wants drone regulations strengthened
“We’d like to look into what’s the right way to activate them,” he said. “How fast can we get one up? What conditions can we operate under? What kind of results can we see?”
But the use of drones can be something of a bureaucratic nightmare. Many government agencies want a say on issues such as protecting commercial aviation and personal privacy, even though search and rescue operations will usually be far from the crowds.
Alan Hobler of Kamloops Search and Rescue said a local company has developed infrared drone technology that was used on wildfires over the summer.
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Hobler said early results on the use of infrared technology for rescue operations is promising.
“We decided to go out at night and it worked unbelievably well. It was very quick and they were able to locate almost every subject we had out in the field,” he said.
It may not be much of an investment for search and rescue crews as numerous private operators appear eager to sell their services.
“Everyone wants to get some real regulations down before they want to say yes to stuff,” said Jeff Nye of Kaizen Kinetics International. “Without being able to say yes to stuff we can’t do a whole lot of testing and searches, so it’s a bit of a Catch-22.”
Coyle said the technology has the potential to save lives.
“I’d like to expose my guys to less risk,” Coyle said. “If I put it down in the canyon and find the subject right away…I can speed up the rescue.”
-With files from Ted Chernecki
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