IntroductionDisaster management is one area that is very significant when it comes to emergency response. The strategies and tactics to be used have a bearing on the successful endeavors of the people handling varying degrees of disasters and emergencies. Countries all over the world have their own way of handling disasters, and there are certainly the best practices in the different jurisdictions. The advancement of technology has enhanced the effective response to emergencies in recent times. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become an essential component in the way emergencies are handled across the world. Despite the challenges emanating from the use of UAVs, their use is gaining acceptance as safety measures become enhanced. It is important to interrogate the best practices that are used in various parts of the world for recommendation to the Victorian Emergencies Services (VES).
The Concept of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones. It refers to an aircraft that is operated without the presence of a pilot. The operations of the drones come from the use of computers or the use of a remote pilot on the ground. In the earlier times, the UAVs were remotely piloted aircraft, but recent times have seen the use of autonomous control as the advancement of technology continues to take root (Valavanis & Vachtsevanos 2014, p. 38). Critical areas where they are being used include the US Army, Germany where they are used for delivery of parcels, and for various development purposes in Africa. In the case of emergency services, the use of drones has become an essential tool in the integration of best practices.
It is important to note that the use of UAVs has raised concerns in various quarters concerning their safety and the intrusion of other people’s privacy. Such concerns are essential for emergency management as they have the possibility of interfering with the smooth running of activities. Some of the concerns revolve around the disruption of certain industries such as security services and the safety of citizens (Hajiyev, Soken & Vural 2015, p. 25). At the same time, there is a difference between the non-military use of UAVs and the military use of the same. The paper focuses on the non-military use of UAVs with the specific focus on emergency services.
Disaster Management
Disaster management has evolved over the years with the various agencies involved in the process adapting to modern methods of disaster management. The application of UAVs has gained support in most countries that are also development conscious. The concept lacks in Victoria emergency services. It is the high time that the department adopts the technology. The elements of disaster include prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery (Griffin 2014, p. 269). In that case, the concept of UAVs use comes in at this juncture. Any eventuality of a disaster calls into question certain key factors. One of them is the capacity of the personnel handling a disaster that takes into consideration their exercise and training for generic and specific skills. Another factor is risk assessment that includes the development of an evacuation and risk management plan. The availability of generic information that includes environmental and mapping is essential for planning of the disaster management.
The integration of UAVs comes in handy in such instances where its system of operation enables the appropriate assessment, evaluation, and the recommendations of the actions to take. It is important to note that UAVs incorporate very powerful sensors that are used to gather data prior, during and after a disaster. The sensors include Electro-Optical (EO) and also called camera in other situations. They are used to capture moving and still images in low or high resolution. The second type of sensor includes Forward Infra Red (FLIR) that is used to capture images while showing the differences in temperature of the images captured (Griffin 2014, p. 269). The third type of sensor is the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). It is used for measuring the distance to an object or any other identifiable properties where they illuminate the target with a significant amount of light. The fourth type is the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). They provide for radiometric capabilities and advanced imaging used in weather forecasting and mapping (Griffin 2014, p. 269). The fifth type of sensor is the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). They have the capability of detecting and mapping the earth and in the process identify the particular features of the earth.
Practical Aspect
In the practical application of the UAVs on the ground, they can be used for the following services. One of them is the recording and transfer of audio or video information from scenes of a disaster especially one that covers a large geographical area. It is also applicable where the disaster team is most likely to face local challenges and risk. The other application can be the exportation or importation of equipment, technical devices and the like from a disaster scene that is facing accessibility challenges (EENA Operations Document n. d, p. 8). The UAVs can also be used for moving humanitarian aid that includes medical drugs, emergency floatation devices, and emergency blankets among others in areas facing accessibility from response teams. They can also be used to place detection devices to identify and find people in disasters such as earthquakes. The UAVs can also be used for placing devices that detect hazardous materials.
The application aspect of the UAVs is not only limited to disaster sites, but they are also used for equipping the police in various ways that include supporting them on an ad hoc basis of remote area policing. They also equip the police with rapid deployment capability when the need arises. The UAVs also help the police in incident control that includes the improvement and increasing of situational awareness. The issue of crowd observation and aviation security is the other useful way that the drones could be used. Other ways include anti-terrorism surveillance and stolen vehicle searches (EENA Operations Document n. d, p. 9).
Best Practices in the World
In the process of demonstrating how the UAVs are an important tool in disaster management, there are a few areas in the world that technology has been used and very applicable. One such case is the Philippines during Super Typhoon Haiyan that had hit the place and the process wreaking havoc and damaging property (Valavanis & Vachtsevanos 2014, p. 897). The situation was bad, and there was the need to integrate a system that would have helped the disaster victims. The use of UAV was necessary, and it was brought as a backup. The UAV’s cameras were used to aid in the coordination of humanitarian aid assistance. It was specifically used to identify the base operations that were going on and then the assessing the accessibility of the area. It was also used to assess the damage at the coast from flooding and storm surge. The aerial assessment speeded up the evaluation process with suggestions emerging that its earlier application could have helped save lives.
In another case, the UAVs were used during Taiwan’s Morakot typhoon that claimed the lives of 678 people (Griffin 2014, p. 274). The damage caused to the country was devastating. The most damage was witnessed in the areas where there was challenging terrain that had dangerous and difficult traffic conditions. In the post-disaster assessment, UAVs were used extensively and would demonstrate their ability to produce Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and also collect aerial imagery. The DEMs would then be used to calculate debris produced and simulate the terrain environment in the process of assessing the nature and effect of the typhoon. In Japan, the UAVs were used during the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 to determine the damage done to Fukushima nuclear reactors(Griffin 2014, p. 272).
The UAVs continue to be used in many countries where for example in Germany they are used for monitoring wildfires. The UAVs were used in 2011 where a UAV that was airship-designed was fitted with radiometric sensors and a multi-rotary wing that was smaller (Griffin 2014, p. 273). The radiometric sensors that were on the airship UAV detected a fire through the soil, dust, and plant cover automatically (Griffin 2014, p. 273). The multi-rotary wing UAVs that were smaller were in turn used to assess the incident location. The UAVs have also been applied in Thailand in the process of gathering data related to flooding. Incident commanders get the real-time data to launch mitigation strategies for people trapped in flood water and other purposes. Such information was used in 2012 during floods where manned aircraft would provide relief supplies and rescue people (Griffin 2014, p. 274).
Legislation Factors
The legislations governing the use of UAVs are important for the protection of varied interests that include the citizens and the misuse of the drones. They vary in various jurisdictions across the world. In America, there is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that oversees the regulation of the UAVs usage while Canada there is the Canadian Aviation Authority (CAA) that is tasked with the same roles and responsibilities. The regulations are almost similar in most countries. In Australia, there is the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA). The regulations therein call on the use of drones in a manner where they have to be kept away from people at approximately 100 feet. They also must not be flown where there are clouds, sporting events or at beaches. The UAVs cannot be used after dark, and the operator has to be visible. They also have to be flown at 400 feet altitude, and they are not allowed to operate closer to airports for a distance beyond three miles (EENA Operations Document n. d, p. 17).
Benefits to Community and Emergency Services
The use of drones is very significant and crucial to various communities where the drones are being utilized. First of all, in the occurrence of disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes among others, the communities are left a devastated lot. They are normally deprived of basic needs and are trying to survive while waiting for response teams. The use of UAVs facilitates this process while stepping in to provide them with the basic needs. They are also rescued in time before they succumb. The UAVs also proves to be useful in post-disaster assessments where they can know what went wrong and what could have been avoided (Griffin 2014, p. 276). They then help in the making of policies that will have communities be saved from such effects. In the case of emergency services, they facilitate the process by enhancing their services. For one, the UAVs provide accessibility to rough terrains that cannot be accessed by normal means. It also gets to save them costs and provides for a speedy response to emergencies. The risks associated with the loss of lives and injury are also minimized (Griffin 2014, p. 277).
Conclusion
It is clear that UAVs are an essential tool that could be used for enhancing emergency response services. It is a practice that makes use of advanced technologies and is proving to be very useful in the process of managing disasters. Various disasters that include flood, fires, earthquakes, storms, typhoons and hurricanes have the potential of causing damage to property and the death of people. The incorporation of UAVs as has been demonstrated in the various scenarios above further proves that they are crucial to managing such disasters. It would, therefore, be necessary that the Victorian Emergency services find the reason for incorporating this technology into its operations.
- EENA Operations Document nd, Remote Piloted Airborne Systems (RPAS) and the Emergency Services, European Emergency Number Association.
- Griffin, GF 2014, ‘The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for disaster management’, GEOMATICA.68, 265-281
- Hajiyev, C, Soken, HE, & Vural, SY 2015, State estimation and control for low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles. Available from: EBSCO
- Valavanis, K, & Vachtsevanos, GJ 2014, Handbook of unmanned aerial vehicles. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9707-1.
