Sunday, July 27, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Moderator: Travis Hull – User Experience Domain Lead, First Responder Network Authority
Co-Presenters: Captain Abrem Ayana – Commander of Innovation, Technology, and Special Projects, Brookhaven (GA) Police Department; Johnna Sells – Regional Communications & 911 Coordinator, Franklin County (OH) Office of Homeland Security; Doug Oeser – Director of Data Accountability & Crime Analysis Asheville (NC) Police Department
When Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Southeastern United States, everyone knew it would cause damage – what no one expected the level of devastation that would be left in its wake. The City of Asheville in Western North Carolina made international news when hundreds of residents were missing, buildings were demolished, infrastructure was crippled, and interstate highways were washed out – nearly isolating the community.
In the days and weeks that followed, agencies and companies from all over the country stepped in to help, a few of which include Ovrwatch, Skydio, and the Brookhaven Police Department and their Drone as a First Responder team.
Although Asheville had the ability to launch their own drones, they couldn’t reach the locations that were most impacted by the storm, nor could their patrol vehicles. This was where Ovrwatch stepped in with DJI equipment, allowing first responders to launch drones remotely from virtually anywhere by placing the drone docks on top of buildings and in the bed of department-owned pickup trucks. The DJI Dock 3 not only decreased the number of staff required to launch the network of drones as everything was controlled remotely, but also quickly started recharging the UAV as soon as it was docked. (Link to video shown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_HdKiM1MEE)
While Ovrwatch was able to assist with providing images to first responders to assist with the search and rescue recovery missions, they were just that – images. Skydio, a company who states that they help the “most dangerous work get done safer, smarter, and faster through remote autonomous flight,” was able to launch drones to provide full 3D models of affected areas. These images provided responders with a more comprehensive picture of the scenes so that they could better plan for possible dangers they would encounter.
Captain Ayana’s presentation last year at APCO 2024 illustrated a key benefit of drone technology: it allows officers to apprehend suspects more safely and effectively. By observing movements and anticipating routes, they can position themselves for an intercept rather than initiating a chase. This was put to use in Asheville when Brookhaven PD’s DFR team assisted by launching their drones to assist officers with locating both people in need, but also to seek out and apprehend those looting the now-vulnerable businesses.
On a topic unrelated to drone technology, Johnna Sells of the Franklin County Office of Homeland Security shared an inspiring account of her TERT team’s dedication during this crisis. They established a “Hurricane Hotline” to manage the surge of emergency and non-emergency calls, providing crucial relief to fatigued dispatchers in Buncombe County, NC. Demonstrating extraordinary commitment, her team worked 12-hour shifts and then selflessly volunteered half of their recovery time at food distribution sites for impacted residents.
Written by William Allison
