Florida State Students Learning to Use Drones to Assist Hurricane Emergency Response

Robert McDaniel, a professor of Emergency Management at the university, said drones can help rescuers find victims quicker than traditional search teams on foot.
Published: May 18, 2016

STARKE, Fla. — A group of Florida State students are learning how to use drones to help Florida emergency officials plan for hurricane season.

WJCT reports that Robert McDaniel, an Emergency Management professor at Florida State, showed video footage of his students piloting the drones to a room of emergency managers to educate them on how an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can assist in disaster response, especially when looking for survivors.

In the presentation, McDaniel showed the officials how he and students used drones to help rescuers track down a missing person. “We were able to help exclude the areas that the dogs weren’t going to have to hunt — about a square mile in one afternoon,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel said drones can help rescuers find victims much faster than search teams on the ground.

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