Flagler County’s UAS Program: Evolving Drone Technology for Enhanced Public Safety

One of the key applications of the UAS program is in search and rescue operations. Drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras have proven invaluable in locating missing persons and providing critical support during emergencies. For example, drones have been successfully deployed to locate a missing kayaker and assist in several other rescue missions throughout the year. In addition to search and rescue, these drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging sensors to conduct aerial surveillance of wildfire-prone areas, identifying hotspots and smoldering zones that might not be visible to the naked eye. During the wildfire preseason, lidar and multi-spectral sensors are effectively used to detect ladder fuels hidden beneath tree canopies and measure vegetation biomass, which aids in assessing fire risks and enhancing preparedness efforts. 

The program has encountered several distinct meteorological challenges that have a considerable impact on its missions. The county's flat terrain, combined with dense inland vegetation, creates complex conditions for monitoring sea breezes, coastal gusts, and fluctuating visibility. Additionally, real-time weather data often fails to accurately reflect the actual conditions at flight level, particularly concerning wind speeds and visibility, leading to potential discrepancies between reported data and the realities faced during flight operations. “Our drone team must deal with coastal weather and areas further inland with dense vegetation and fog that affect visibility during flights. This can be challenging during normal operations and cause delays. Finding the right weather forecasting tools can make a big difference for overall safety, especially as we start to fly BVLOS missions around the county”, says Bruno Luna, Flagler County, UAS Program Coordinator. 

Adverse weather, such as high winds, heavy rain, or extreme temperatures, can significantly influence drone operations. Drones are sensitive to weather changes, and their performance can be hindered by conditions like strong gusts, which can affect flight stability and battery life. Moreover, coastal areas like Flagler County frequently experience fog and mist, especially in the early morning and late evening. Reduced visibility is also a concern in the swampy, densely vegetated inland areas, both from fog and active wildfires. Winds and reduced visibility can complicate overwatch and monitoring, as both factors can impair the data quality and instrument performance of the onboard sensors, such as the optical cameras and thermal imager. 

Flagler County's UAS program will address these challenges by implementing a real-time weather monitoring system into the drone response operation. This system can help address weather challenges and provide accurate and localized weather updates. The complexity of weather impacts is further heightened when missions take place beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). Continuous innovation and adaptation are crucial to overcoming these weather-related obstacles, ensuring that drones can operate safely and effectively even in less-than-ideal conditions.  

Flagler County has recently called upon TruWeather Solutions to increase their low-altitude sensing capability. “The real-time weather data we get from TruWeather has had a huge impact on our operations, especially as we start flying BVLOS. There’s a lot to consider when operating BVLOS, so having a platform that has all the pertinent data on one screen is a huge time saver”, says Luna.  At TruWeather Solutions, we understand the critical role that precise weather data plays in the success of drone operations, particularly in emergency response scenarios, and we are proud to bring this understanding to the project.   

The ongoing improvements and innovations in drone technology and weather infrastructure will continue to enhance Flagler County’s UAS capabilities, making it a model for modern emergency response strategies. We at TruWeather Solutions are proud to be a part of this transformative project, providing the weather intelligence needed to make it a reality.  

To learn more about the Flagler County UAS Program and TruWeather partnership, go to https://www.flaglercounty.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1209/15