When Minutes Matter
Emergency response depends on information. IoT fleets provide situational awareness when responders need it most—faster deployment, better coverage, safer operations.
Fleet Types in Public Safety
| Fleet Type | Devices | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial | Surveillance drones, search drones | Search and rescue, incident overwatch, fire mapping |
| Ground Vehicles | Emergency vehicles, patrol cars | Real-time dispatch, telematics, asset tracking |
| Fixed IoT | Building alarms, traffic sensors, gunshot detectors | Threat detection, situational awareness, evidence |
All device types share the same architecture: edge AI, NATS JetStream messaging, and unified fleet management.
The Challenge
Emergency situations suffer from information gaps:
- Search and rescue — Vast areas to cover, limited personnel
- Disaster assessment — Infrastructure damaged, access blocked
- Active incidents — Need eyes on scene before personnel arrive
- Coordination — Multiple agencies, fragmented communication
- Documentation — Evidence preservation, incident reconstruction
Ground-based assessment is slow and puts responders at risk. Helicopters are expensive and limited. The first minutes often determine outcomes.
How IoT Fleets Solve This
Aerial: Rapid Deployment
Pre-positioned drones launch immediately:
- Automated dispatch — Drones en route while crews mobilize
- First on scene — Visual assessment before personnel arrive
- Live streaming — Command sees what the drone sees
- Night capability — Thermal imaging in total darkness
Ground: Vehicle Intelligence
Emergency vehicles with real-time coordination:
- Automatic dispatch — Closest available unit based on live positions
- Route optimization — Real-time traffic, fastest path to scene
- Telematics — Vehicle status, fuel, maintenance alerts
- Resource tracking — Who has what equipment, where
Fixed IoT: Threat Detection
Sensors providing continuous awareness:
- Gunshot detection — Acoustic sensors pinpoint location
- Traffic sensors — Congestion, accidents, signal priority
- Building alarms — Fire, intrusion, elevator emergency
- Weather stations — Local conditions affecting response
Area Coverage
Systematic search patterns cover ground fast:
- Grid searches — Automated flight paths, no gaps
- Multi-drone coordination — Cover more area simultaneously
- Persistent surveillance — Hours of coverage per battery swap
- All-weather operation — Wind, rain, cold—within limits
Onboard AI (Edge Processing)
Real-time inference on NVIDIA Jetson for immediate detection:
| Capability | Public Safety Application |
|---|---|
| Person Detection | Locate subjects in wilderness, disaster debris, crowds |
| Vehicle Recognition | Track vehicles of interest, identify abandoned cars |
| Thermal Imaging | Find heat signatures through smoke, at night, in foliage |
| Fire Detection | Identify active flames, hotspots, fire spread direction |
| Structural Assessment | Detect building damage, collapse risk, access routes |
Why Edge Matters:
- Alert responders immediately upon detection
- Work in areas with no cellular coverage
- Process thermal and visual simultaneously
- Continue operating during network congestion
Cloud AI (Fleet Analytics)
Via NATS JetStream, coordinate response across agencies:
| Capability | Public Safety Application |
|---|---|
| Multi-Agency Coordination | Share feeds across fire, police, EMS, SAR |
| Resource Dispatch | Optimal routing based on real-time conditions |
| Pattern Analysis | Track incident progression, predict spread |
| Evidence Management | Chain of custody, timestamp verification |
| After-Action Review | Incident reconstruction, training material |
Why Cloud Matters:
- Unified view for command centers
- Coordination across jurisdictions
- Historical data for similar incidents
- Integration with CAD/dispatch systems
Hardware Configuration
For public safety deployments, we recommend:
| Component | Selection | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Holybro X500 or ruggedized variant | Reliability in harsh conditions |
| Flight Controller | Pixhawk 6X | Proven autonomy, fail-safe modes |
| Sensor Companion | Raspberry Pi CM4 | Telemetry, basic sensors |
| AI Companion | Jetson Orin NX | High performance for thermal + visual |
| Payload | Dual RGB + thermal camera | Day and night capability |
| Connectivity | LTE + mesh radio | Resilience when towers are down |
Full hardware specifications →
Use Cases
Search and Rescue
Missing person searches. Wilderness SAR. Water rescue support.
Fire Response
Structure fire assessment. Wildfire mapping. Hot spot detection.
Law Enforcement
Active incident overwatch. Event security. Traffic incident management.
Disaster Response
Damage assessment. Survivor location. Resource staging guidance.
Border and Maritime
Coastal patrol. Port security. Border surveillance.
Deployment Models
Pre-Positioned Fleets
Drones staged at fire stations, police precincts, SAR bases. Launch on dispatch.
Mobile Command
Vehicle-mounted systems. Deploy anywhere. Rapid setup.
Persistent Coverage
Long-duration missions. Battery swap or charging stations. Continuous operation.
Technical Deep Dive
This application is built on our production-grade fleet architecture:
| Component | Role in Public Safety |
|---|---|
| NATS Topology | Resilient messaging during infrastructure damage |
| Vehicle Gateway | Real-time detection with immediate alerting |
| JetStream Streams | Evidence-grade video storage with timestamps |
| Safety Model | Operation near people, structures, aircraft |
Compliance
Public safety operations require:
- FAA Part 107 waiver support for night, BVLOS operations
- CJIS compliance for law enforcement data handling
- Evidence chain of custody with cryptographic verification
- Multi-agency data sharing with access controls
Our architecture supports these requirements by design.
Get Started
When seconds count, infrastructure matters. Deploy drone fleets that respond faster and see more.