American first response drone services provider BRINC Drones is set to scale its operations after the start-up bagged capital investment from safety and security technology services provider Motorola Solutions.

Aside from BRINC, Motorola also announced that it was investing in drone detection technology company SkySafe, in its bid to create a strategic alliance that will integrate Drone as First Responder (DFR) and drone detection technologies into its 911 command center solution, CommandCentral, and expand the companies’ go-to-market opportunities.

The company added that, with more than 60 percent of North America’s public safety answering points (PSAP) already relying on Motorola Solutions’ 911 command center software, the new venture would enable public safety agencies to seamlessly introduce drones to help protect the public’s safety and security. 

We’re also pretty sure the two companies were chosen because they have American roots and pose little danger to the legal minefield that DJI and other Chinese commercial drone providers are currently experiencing in the North American market.

“With over 240 million 911 calls made each year, a faster response time to the call can be the consequential difference in an emergency,” said Mahesh Saptharishi, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Motorola Solutions.

“We’re integrating the powerful capabilities of drones into 911 software, enabling precious time saved to deliver that life-saving medicine or give officers eyes and ears on scene before they arrive.”  

The typical first response operation will work thus: BRINC allows 911 call handlers to immediately dispatch drones in response to emergency calls or with the push of a button from a Motorola Solutions APX NEXT smart radio.

BRINC says some 911 calls can be cleared solely with drones, which Motorola Solutions expects to augment with “Assist for 911,” its AI application that can automate incident analysis and help determine when a DFR-based response is appropriate. 

“Of equal importance to the public’s safety is managing the growing threat of unauthorized drones,” Saptharishi said.

“Greater security for our airspace is an imperative to safeguard our critical infrastructure, borders and communities. This alliance also brings drone detection to the screens of 911 and command center operators across the nation.” 

Meanwhile, SkySafe develops drone detection technology that enables critical infrastructure, commercial, and government organizations to identify, track, and analyze drone activity in their airspace. The cloud-based SaaS platform provides real-time and historical drone data, offering precise information on drone location, altitude, velocity, flight status, launch point, and pilot location.

The company predicts the number of consumer drones in the U.S. can rise into the millions, highlighting the scale of risk that unauthorised drones potentially pose.

Motorola reckons the new streams of drone intelligence enabled through these integrations can be streamed live into the command center and shared with officers in the field on in-vehicle computers or mobile devices. It can further be stored in agencies’ evidence management systems as part of Motorola Solutions’ ecosystem of safety and security technologies.

Agencies can combine other incident data, such as 911 call records, officers’ radio dialogue, officers’ location information and more, for comprehensive analysis and evidence, including AI-based redaction to protect privacy.  

“Drones are often first on the scene, providing the initial set of eyes on an emergency and equipping first responders to arrive better prepared,” said Blake Resnick, founder and CEO of BRINC.

“We’re proud of our work with Motorola Solutions to help make drones an attainable reality for public safety agencies, helping to safeguard human life.” 

Grant Jordan, CEO of SkySafe also chipped in.

“Unauthorised drones at major events and airports can cause immediate, harmful effects on people and operations,” Jordan said.

“We share Motorola Solutions’ vision to empower PSAPs to detect and protect against the increasing threats from malicious drones.”

Motorola Solutions’ safety and security technology is built to support public safety agencies and enterprises alike, enabling the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals and safer businesses.