Drones

Verizon Disaster Response Workforce: Drones, Telephones, and Extra

The communications giant Verizon has a global presence in communications: and in the drone industry Verizon Skyward is a leading platform for drone management. 5G, drone inspections, and drone communications make Verizon a major player in the drone industry. For one department of the company, however, drones are used as an important tool for emergency response.

There is a small and dedicated team within the Verizon organization standing by and waiting to assist law enforcement and first responders when needed. DRONELIFE spoke to Michael Begonis, communications manager, and Jason Mitchell, senior manager of the Verizon Crisis Response Team, to gain an insight into how they use drones, phones, and communications tools to help public safety teams respond to emergencies.

The Verizon Crisis Response Team (which works under the umbrella of the Verizon Response Team) consists of 24 professionals – with more than 250 years of military and emergency response experience. As part of the Verizon Frontline program, they are a rapid deployment unit that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your job is to assist the public safety and first responder teams in every possible way.

On days with blue skies, the team prepares for the next assignment. “We are a 24/7 365 rapid deployment unit preparing for a crisis. We always prepare. We are always working to find out what we can do better or how we can reduce the risk next time. After we’ve got into a crisis and worked with a community, we’ll come back to each other to see what works. ”

The team goes out on the days of “dark skies”. Most of them were previously used by the military or law enforcement agencies. Now they are on the move with technology solutions to help in whatever situation they find themselves in: search and rescue in remote areas with no robust communications infrastructure, fires, floods, earthquakes and more.

‘Verizon Frontline’ is more than a catchphrase for us. We’ve worked with first responders for more than 30 years with an attitude that is in crisis, ”explains Jason Mitchell. “Our goal is to provide mission-critical communications and support public safety so that communities can get back to normal as quickly as possible [after an emergency.]“The team does everything to help after a disaster: they create extended networks with satellites or larger antennas in emergencies. Activate land mobile radio systems (LMR); They appear in shelters to set up the internet and borrow phones so victims can communicate with their families – all at no cost to the communities. And they use drones to aid aerial reconnaissance and search and rescue operations.

Drones and Verizon’s Rapid Response Team

The team got into drones to respond in an emergency when they realized that this was the best way to do aerial reconnaissance and that it had the potential to help even more in the future. “We didn’t want drones to be just another project,” says Mitchell. “The drone program was really purpose-driven.” The team uses DJI Mavic 2 drones, which come with a Fly-More kit and a smart controller. They have also standardized their use. “Our drone commander has military experience as an air traffic controller,” explains Mitchell. “We really wanted to take the same approach as a drone company – we created flight standards and training levels. We had a lot of flyers for the first time who really got it. “

“Skyward was critical to us: we can manage our drones, our batteries, and our LAANC approvals – it’s amazing. We did a lot with the management side to make sure we were flying safely. We use checklists and tags: for example, if a pilot flies 2,000 feet away, the system will mark this so we can talk about it and learn from it. “

view in the future

According to Mitchell, the team looks forward to rolling out more drone applications in the future, if regulations and technology allow. “I’m really looking forward to the delivery of payloads,” he says. “For us, the idea of ​​being able to deliver a flip phone to people stranded on a flooded street is ideal. Really, the sky is the limit. “

The entire Verizon organization is involved in the 5G rollout, and Mitchell says this is a big move for emergency response as well. With 5G, explains Michael Begonis, the latency between drone feeds and ground systems can practically disappear. “5G is really exciting. We’ll be able to see ambulances that provide hospitals with instant data and drones that can send real-time data to people thousands of kilometers away. “

In the near future, the team plans to implement new sensors such as LiDAR payloads. “The drone program is always focused – we’re always looking at what first responders need next and how we can meet those evolving needs,” says Mitchell. The Verizon Frontline team is driving innovation, studying topics like storm forecasting to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. The Verizon Crisis Response Team is always ready to use whatever tools are available to get the communications network up and running and provide frontline support to first responders. “The world we live in is an amazing time,” says Mitchell.

Miriam McNabb is editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a marketplace for professional drone services, and a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Author of over 3,000 articles focusing on the commercial drone space, Miriam is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam graduated from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years experience in high-tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For advice or writing in the drone industry, email Miriam.

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