To operate a drone in the Public Safety sector you will still need to attain a PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operations). You can do this by taking a 3-day course comprised of two days of Ground School training, a theory test and a final flight test on the third day. To find out how you can get started head to our how to Become a Drone Pilot.

With Search and Rescue the longer the flight time the better, so if you add a thermal camera onto a UAV frame like the DJI Phantom, the additional payload would bring your flight time down to 20 minutes. If you use an integrated drone solution like the Parrot ANAFI Thermal or Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual Thermal you can keep your flight time at the 30 minute mark. Flight time is crucial in Search and Rescue operations as every minute counts.

For quick deployment drones the Parrot ANAFI Thermal and DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual can’t be beaten. Particularly the Parrot ANAFI Thermal which can be deployed from your hand for quick-response operations in tricky terrain.

Weather wise your best options are the Matrice 210 V2 which has an IP rating of 43 and can be operated in medium wet and windy weather. An even better option for operating your drone in adverse weather conditions is the Acecore Zoe, it has a flight time of up to 40 minutes and an IP rating of 55 which means it’s operable in wind gusts of up to 35 knots. Despite only benefitting from 4 rotors, their is an increased redundancy option too with the use of a parachute kit.

Both of these drones have the exact same thermal core and imaging capabilities. In comparison the Parrot’s visual camera has a slightly higher quality so if you’re looking at these two drone options for SAR or response operations then you’ll get a slightly higher quality image with the Parrot ANAFI. That said the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual Thermal has the additional features of a search light and speaker system so you can fly in dark conditions and communicate with people on the ground. It’s worth speaking to our team to find out which you would benefit more from, a better visual or accessories to aid your operations.

160 by 120 cameras though not the most powerful thermal imaging cameras available, can tell you if something is hot or cold from a certain altitude. You can also pick out something of interest from the air. With Search and Rescue if you’re able to fly a slightly lower altitude and you’re aware that accuracy isn’t going to be 100%, then a 160 by 120 integrated Thermal drone is of use.  They’re not going to be cover-all, fail-safe products like the higher resolution cameras but if your budget only allows for something of that level then its better to give yourself some sort of thermal capability than it is to avoid adopting Thermal technology at all. With Thermal Imaging cameras it just depends on the quality needed for your application. At COPTRZ we can direct you to the right hardware you need for your desired applications. With the integrated thermal drones the technology is there for a reason and it fits a certain category of applications already out there.

The Z30 is not IP rated and the XT2 is IP rated to the same as the Matrice 210 V2 which is 43. When flying in wet conditions you just have to be careful with moisture on the lens because you can’t see the image properly. If you are flying in light rain the camera will be fine and undamaged you just won’t be able to see clearly due to moisture on the lens.

Contact our Public Safety Specialist directly using our Drone Strategy Form.