Greenfield police and fire departments took a big step forward this week with their deployment of two new drones. These remote-controlled flying machines may look like the latest toy of video game-playing kids but make no mistake: They have the capability to magnify the scope of law enforcement and emergency services by adding air surveillance that used to be possible only with helicopters.
As the benefits of aerial surveillance become clearer, it will probably be just a matter of time before other towns in the area, like Orange, Athol and Montague, consider following suit, and we would encourage them to look closely at that.
Nationwide, drones have been used to bust up a ring stealing bulldozers and backhoes from construction sites on the East Coast, to patrol beaches for sharks, to protect the Boston Marathon and to scan neighborhoods for survivors in hurricane zones. Drones allow police to do things they never did even with helicopters, from working with arson investigators to measuring skid marks at car crashes.
Drones can be used to view a house fire from above to better direct firefighting tactics and to look for hot spots. And drones are used to look for missing children and old folks who have dementia. In April 2017, drones flown by firefighters from the Keene, N.H., Fire Department were used to scan a wooded area in Winchester, N.H., looking for the wreckage of a plane crash.
In Greenfield, police and fire departments said they foresee using drones for taking footage of storm damage, looking at geographic changes after storms or for search and rescue missions.
Part of the appeal is cost: A drone with an infrared camera can be had for less than $20,000, while a police helicopter can cost well over $1 million, according to the Associated Press.
Greenfield launched its drone program with a consumer model with a camera and 30-minute battery life, and a larger aircraft with space for up to three cameras, purchased with a grant of $15,000 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, according to Fire Chief Robert Strahan, coordinator of the program. Strahan said he hopes to get a second grant for a thermal imaging camera for the larger drone.
Despite its cost-effectiveness, public perception of privacy violations first had to be allayed. To this end, Strahan said he addressed a City Council committee as well as the Public Safety Commission to tell people what the drone is not used for.
“We’re not going to be following people around with it. We’re not going to be looking into people’s houses,” Strahan said. “It’s not (going to be) used for surveillance.”
Other restrictions outlined in a policy document include having two operators for each use of the drone – a pilot and an observer who watches for hazards. Moreover, pilots must have a license through the Federal Aviation Administration. Three members of the five-member drone program are still working toward getting their licenses.
Greenfield’s new drone program is an important addition to public safety. Expanding its potential even further, Strahan said towns throughout Franklin County and the North Quabbin region will be able to draw on the capabilities of Greenfield’s drone program. In the event of a natural disaster or human tragedy, when an eagle’s eyes are just what’s needed, that’s an offer any town would welcome, although we suspect that as drone use becomes routine, eventually other towns in the region will see the benefits and will invest in their own drones.