Emergency exercise tests drones to locate missing persons

A large-scale exercise recently took place in Lüneburg, Germany, organised by the Kirchgellersen fire department. Almost 100 emergency personnel from the DLRG rescue association, police, fire department and armed forces took part in the exercise. The aim was to train and optimise cooperation between the various authorities and organisations with security tasks (BOS) in realistic operational scenarios.

During the event, experts from the German Federal Aviation Office (LBA), Droniq GmbH and the German armed forces presented on the use of drone technologies in crisis situations. Droniq’s Alexander Wulf spoke about safe drone use in the control zones and in Gulf airspace, and also presented the company’s Drone-in-a-Box system, which has been developed for use in BOS scenarios. Wulf also discussed the communication technology supported by the Dronetag Mini and the TraX system, which enable real-time tracking and communication with the control centre.

Participants were then able to put their skills to the test as part of the large-scale exercise. Each unit was equipped with a Dronetag Mini to locate missing persons in confusing terrain. By using the TraX system, the specially set up control centre was able to track all drones in real time, which made coordination much easier. Droniq also supported the operation with a DJI Matrice M350 RTK, which demonstrated its ability to detect and locate people. 

Droniq said the exercise provided insights into the use of modern drone technology, as well as valuable experience for future cooperation between different emergency services.