Paladin’s drone charging dome is an exciting progression for DFR. Our mission has always been to make Drone as a First Responder (DFR) programs a reality for public safety departments and this new beta version is the next step. ABC 13 recently checked in with Memorial Villages Police Department (MVPD). Officer Larry Boggus shared with the world what the new drone charging dome and DFR as a whole means for public safety:
“It’s helping us respond to calls quicker. It’s helping us stop the crime, locate the suspects, clear calls, free up officers for other calls. It’s just a new technology that’s changing the world on police work.” – Officer Larry Boggus
In our experience, the most prohibitive factors in setting up a DFR program are the manpower needed to support one and the sheer cost of getting one started due to the technologies capabilities. At Paladin, we aimed to eliminate both by utilizing an LTE-based drone, our Knighthawk. The LTE capability allows for a consistent and reliable way of achieving a 3 mile radius around the launch location unlike other radio-based alternatives. This reduces the number of UAS needed.
Additionally, with radio-based UAS, the FAA requires a visual observer to be on the rooftop observing the airspace of the UAS. With LTE, we are able to use a network of visual observers to accomplish this which saves hundreds of thousands to millions a year and tens of thousands of hours spent by public safety officers. Read more about Elizabeth PD’s first 1,000 BVLOS missions utilizing LTE.
A little more about Paladin:
The Knighthawk is a drone purposely designed to get to an emergency as fast as possible, stay on scene for as long as possible, and return home to get ready for the next call – all without pilot intervention. Knighthawk comes equipped with LTE communication technology that allows us to introduce True Unlimited Range. No matter how far you send the drone, you won’t lose video or control of the drone, even in dense, urban environments as long as there is a cellular network.
This functionality also helps us send Knighthawk beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) with complete confidence. It also comes equipped with a 10x zoom and thermal camera, is weather-resistant, and has over 55 minutes of flight time (with the payload, not without).
Watchtower is our all-in-one application that allows any first responder to deploy the Knighthawk with a single tap, see its live video feed from anywhere, manage flight, video, and equipment records, and even notify users if any part of the drone needs servicing. All of this happens in the background and automatically – when a 911 call comes in, Watchtower dispatches Knighthawk to the emergency, notifies the department about the status of the drone, and sends its video feed to everyone and anyone who needs it.
When the mission is done, Watchtower automatically uploads the mission logs, video footage, and flight information for the department to review and download at any time.
We’re proud to be working with departments across the country that are pushing towards the future of first response. Through Paladin, they’re able to get a live overhead view of an emergency before they arrive. Now, instead of relying on little to no information, they’re able to view the emergency exactly as it’s happening, and start planning before they arrive.
We’ve already responded to over 2000 emergencies across multiple states, and are excited to be onboarding new cities every week. Every day, our system is being used to keep people safe, de-escalate situations, and empower first responders with the exact information they need, when they need it.