CHAPTER 5

UAVs for Emergency Response, Traffic Incident Detection, and Traffic Monitoring

5.1 Description of UAVs for Emergency Response, Traffic Incident Detection, and Traffic Monitoring

The use of UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, and traffic monitoring were combined in this chapter because much of the information for the three applications overlaps.

Emergency response is one application where agencies have actively used UAVs. Once an incident is reported to 911, a UAV can be deployed that can typically arrive much more quickly than first responders. Remote pilots are able to monitor and assess the situation and communicate with teams on the ground. They are also able to provide information that is needed for responders to make better decisions (Gettinger 2020).

UAVs can also free up officers’ time for other activities. UAVs are ideal in many situations because they can be deployed more quickly and cheaply than helicopters and can provide on-the-scene footage without the need for a physical presence.

Several agencies have also utilized UAVs to monitor traffic. The identified applications typically involved the use of a UAV that captures video of traffic in a particular location. Such systems consist of a UAV equipped with a video camera along with video processing software to extract data for various metrics, such as speed. Other sensors, such as thermal cameras, may be included as well. A tethering station may be used to secure the UAV in place for longer periods of data collection. Tethering provides both stability and a power source. Tethered systems can be deployed for regular traffic monitoring or special events. Untethered drones can be flown to areas of interest to identify traffic issues (Spires 2021).

5.2 Examples of UAV Applications for Emergency Response, Traffic Incident Detection, and Traffic Monitoring

A brief description of UAV technology in general is provided in Section 1.4. Therefore, this chapter summarizes the use of UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, and traffic monitoring rather than providing a discussion on UAVs in general.

Information about how agencies have utilized UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, or traffic monitoring was gathered from three sources: (1) a review of the literature, (2) a survey of agencies, and/or (3) questionnaires/interviews targeted to specific agencies.

Examples of applications involving the use of UAVs for emergency response and traffic incident detection were found in the literature review for nine agencies. The corresponding information is summarized for each agency in the sections below.

The survey discussed in Chapter 3 included questions about the use of UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, and traffic monitoring. Several agencies indicated in the survey that they had utilized UAVs for these purposes and were willing to be contacted for further information.

From both the literature review and the survey, a total of 21 agencies were identified that had used UAVs for one of the three applications. A list of questions was developed, and the contact person from each agency was emailed a description of the project, a request for a short virtual meeting, and the list of questions. In multiple cases, more than one person at an agency was identified, and each was contacted. The identified contacts were asked to forward the email or notify the research team if someone else at the agency would be in a better position to provide the information. If no response was received, several follow-up emails were sent. In some cases, the agency provided a written response, and in others the information was gathered through a discussion with the agency contact. Responses were gathered from three agencies and are presented in the following sections.

5.2.1 Responses from the Survey

A survey was conducted to gather information about the automated processes that IOOs have implemented or are planning to implement, as described in Chapter 3. Agencies were asked about the use of UAVs for traffic operations. Around 9% (n = 3) of agencies are using UAVs for traffic monitoring, and 27% (n = 9) have piloted the technology. Another 18% (n = 6) plan to use or pilot the technology in the next 3 to 5 years. Twenty-eight percent of agencies (n = 9) indicated that they have used UAVs for traffic incident detection or emergency response, and 13% (n = 4) have piloted the technology for this application. An additional 13% (n = 4) plan to use or pilot UAVs for traffic incident detection. Around 7% (n = 2) of agencies have implemented UAVs for traffic enforcement (n = 2), and 3% (n = 1) have piloted the technology for this application. Ten percent (n = 3) are considering the use of the technology for traffic enforcement in the near future.

5.2.2 General Use

In general, law enforcement agencies have used UAVs for several applications, including first responders in traffic incidents, search and rescue, crash mapping, and disaster operations (Smith 2022). A survey of police officers indicated the following uses for UAVs in their departments (Ghosh 2023):

• 83% for search and rescue.
• 79% for disaster management.
• 76% for SWAT operations.
• 71% for crime and traffic monitoring.

Gettinger (2020) estimates that 1,578 state and local police, sheriff, fire, and emergency services in the United States have acquired UAVs. Seventy percent are used by law enforcement agencies (1,103), 20% are used by fire and rescue (326), and 10% are used in emergency management (163). Public safety agencies in California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin have the largest number of drones (Gettinger 2020).

Other applications were noted for individual states, as summarized below.

5.2.3 California

One study in the literature described the use of UAVs for emergency response in California.

Summary of Literature for California

The Chula Vista Police Department (California) is one of the first programs to use UAVs as first responders and report that UAVs can arrive in less than 2.5 minutes and have reduced the need to dispatch a patrol for over 1,000 deployments (Skyfire n.d.).

5.2.4 Georgia

No information was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency response or traffic incident detection in Georgia. The team, however, was able to conduct a targeted interview with GDOT.

Summary of Conversations with Georgia

A discussion with GDOT (John Hibbard, Director of Operations, Georgia Department of Transportation, personal communication, October 2023) indicated that it is conducting a pilot program to test the efficacy of UAVs for incident management. Outside of the metropolitan areas, Georgia is a relatively rural state. Although Georgia has good closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera coverage across the state (almost 3,300 cameras), emergency response can be challenging. As a result, GDOT decided to pilot the use of UAVs for incident detection. However, GDOT reported finding little benefit because it took the same amount of time, funding, and resources to deploy UAV technology as it took to use traditional emergency response practices. As a result, GDOT felt that the return on investment was not worthwhile. GDOT felt that the use of tethered UAV was promising but that the costs are unknown, making it difficult to assess the benefits of this type of operation. Another consideration was the use of an autonomous remote UAV station. However, current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations hinder this option because UAVs require a pilot. In the longer term, if FAA regulations can be efficiently and effectively met, future implementation would involve at least two operators. At this time, implementation is not a priority.

The respondents noted that before full deployment is feasible, changes in FAA regulations are needed. Additionally, resources and training would be necessary for GDOT to implement the technology.

5.2.5 Iowa

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for traffic incident detection in Iowa. Additionally, the team was able to conduct a targeted interview with an Iowa fire department.

Summary of Literature for Iowa

The Iowa DOT is working with a vendor to test the use of UAVs for traffic incident detection (Iowa News Now 2023). The UAVs are being used to assist with visualization of traffic incident scenes in order to help clear the scenes more quickly. The UAVs provide a bird’s eye view and can live stream video. The Iowa DOT also noted that the video can be archived so that the response can be reviewed later to determine areas of improvement for response teams. The evaluation is currently in the pilot stage (as of April 2023). The next steps are to evaluate the effectiveness of the application and to determine the benefits.

Summary of Conversations with Iowa

A conversation with an Iowa fire chief [Kenneth Huls, Fire Chief, Sibley (Iowa) Fire Department, personal communication, October 2023] revealed that Iowa emergency responders have implemented the use of UAVs and that one UAV is available in each of Iowa’s 99 counties for emergency response. UAVs are used for on-scene incident management where fire services are needed for more than blocking lanes of traffic. The interviewee provided an example of a previous incident where a UAV would have been beneficial. In 2021, a train hauling hazardous materials (fertilizer and ammonium) derailed and caught fire near Sibley, Iowa. The derailment scene was very volatile, and Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management had to evacuate a 5-mile radius around the derailment, including over 80 residents (Singh 2021). The interviewee felt that a UAV, had one been available, would have been able to efficiently evaluate the scene from a safe distance and thus put fewer people in danger.

The interviewee felt that all first responder agencies in Iowa should have access to UAVs. The following uses were noted: the ability to evaluate a scene remotely, search for an escaped prisoner or lost child, or identify the characteristics of a large-scale fire. The interviewee felt that UAVs not only save time but also give responders an overview of a crash scene in a much more timely manner. UAVs can also enhance the response capabilities of first responders and help them better execute their missions. Small UAVs offer tremendous potential for emergency response missions. They can provide relief workers with better situational awareness and post-event care, perform structural examination of a vehicle scene, deliver emergency equipment and supplies, evacuate injured people, help extinguish fires, and provide near- to real-time data to inform the decisions of on-the-ground first responders.

The interviewee also noted that the Iowa State Patrol (ISP) now uses UAVs on a daily basis. The ISP has unveiled a squadron of nine drones that can help minimize highway disruptions and allow for quicker clearance of crash scenes. Troopers are also incorporating small UAVs into their technical crash investigation program. The interviewee noted the following:

5.2.6 Louisiana

One example found in the literature described the use of UAVs for traffic monitoring detection in Louisiana.

Summary of Literature for Louisiana

Researchers in Louisiana conducted a project to perform preliminary research and demonstrate proof of concept for using UAVs to monitor traffic in highway construction zones. The objective was to create real-time alerts for road users. The study collected data via UAV and analyzed the data using prototype software to detect congestion and back-of-queue information. The study successfully detected vehicle speeds from 0 mph to highway speeds on Interstate 10. The study also assessed the use of UAVs to create alerts for users from work zone traffic monitoring (Malveaux et al. 2020).

5.2.7 Michigan

One example found in the literature described the use of UAVs for traffic operations detection in Michigan.

Summary of Literature for Michigan

MDOT carried out a study to evaluate the use of UAVs for traffic operations, bridge inspections, construction inspections, and design surveys. The study was able to collect an extensive amount of field data on traffic operations from different areas of Michigan. Origin-destination results and traffic counts were estimated from the UAV data (Brooks et al. 2022).

5.2.8 New Jersey

One example found in the literature described the use of UAVs for traffic incident detection in New Jersey.

Summary of Literature for New Jersey

Researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology explored the use of UAVs for traffic monitoring, incident management, and photogrammetry in a project for the New Jersey DOT. Queue length and lane-changing patterns were identified easily by the UAV. The study also observed that the lag time during live streaming could be affected by signal coverage. With strong signal coverage, the lag time was 1 second, whereas in rural areas the lag time was 20 seconds due to poor signal coverage (Spasovic et al. 2017).

5.2.9 New York

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency response and traffic incident detection in New York.

Summary of Literature for New York

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has used UAVs for various emergency response activities. In 2021, the NYPD reported using UAVs 26 times for the following (NYPD 2021):

• Search and rescue (3.8%),
• Collision/crime scene documentation (42.3%),
• Evidence search at large or inaccessible scenes (19.2%),
• Monitoring of vehicle/pedestrian congestion at large events (11.5%), and
• Visual assistance in hostage/barricaded suspect situations (23.1%).

5.2.10 North Carolina

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency response and traffic incident detection in North Carolina.

Summary of Literature for North Carolina

NCDOT has used tethered UAVs with its Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP) truck to assess incidents and provide situational awareness. NCDOT is the first agency to launch such a program in the United States (NCDOT 2022).

5.2.11 Texas

Several examples were found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for traffic incident detection in Texas.

Summary of Literature for Texas

The Texas DOT (TxDOT) worked with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to demonstrate the use of UAVs for traffic incident management. The demonstration included missions for traffic

monitoring, incident detection and response, enhanced situational awareness, and mapping of crash scenes. (Stevens and Blackstock 2017). It was found that UAVs provide information that is needed for responders to make better decisions. UAVs also free up officers’ time for other activities. UAVs are ideal in many situations because they can be deployed more quickly and cheaply than helicopters and can provide on-the-scene footage without the need for a physical presence.

Additionally, TxDOT evaluated the effectiveness of UAVs in collecting data from fatal crash scenes during adverse weather conditions (Quiroga et al. 2021). Based on the results of this study, necessary adjustments were made to TxDOT’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Flight Operations and User’s Manual. TxDOT also documented how weather events can impact the aerial imaging network design for 3D crash scene reconstruction (Quiroga et al. 2021).

5.2.12 Vermont

No information was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency response or traffic incident detection in Vermont. The team, however, was able to conduct a targeted interview with VTrans.

Summary of Conversations with Vermont

A discussion with VTrans (Ryan Knapp, ITS Section Chief, Operations and Safety Bureau, Vermont Agency of Transportation, personal communication, October 2023) indicated that the agency has implemented UAVs for emergency response and emergency condition assessment. It currently has four UAVs that are primarily used for emergency response. This includes securing a scene and keeping first responders safe. VTrans felt that UAVs were more effective and efficient than traditional emergency response efforts and saved time and money. In addition to emergency response, other departments in Vermont are finding a growing number of useful applications for the UAV program’s resources. These other departments currently have not made their own investments into purchasing equipment and need to further pilot other technologies to prove whether UAVs are a good resource with a good benefit-cost ratio.

Challenges include difficulties in understanding the licensing needed as well as the software required to deploy UAVs. Additionally, the state has encountered challenges with FHWA funding requirements. VTrans felt that there was some ambiguity regarding which vendors would be at the forefront, which makes it difficult to accurately estimate costs until more research can be performed and more real-world applications can be implemented. VTrans felt that it was difficult to make decisions on what the program will ultimately invest in. It was also felt that personnel across the agency need to be educated/convinced to use the data provided by UAVs, primarily through upfront investment in time and resources. Some people are not otherwise comfortable stepping outside their comfort zone to embrace a new technology.

Although costs were difficult to quantify, VTrans estimated an initial investment of $50,00 to $100,000 for equipment and training, with around $20,000 annually for additional investment in equipment. This did not include the cost of operators and a supporting team.

The main recommendation that VTrans offered for other agencies that may be interested in implementing this technology was to ensure top-tier administrative support and to use that support to leverage opportunities to showcase or use the technology.

5.2.13 Wisconsin

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency response and traffic incident detection in Wisconsin.

Summary of Literature for Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, critical traffic gap and capacity parameters were estimated using tethered UAV technology at 37 roundabout approaches. The data collected from the UAV footage was analyzed using vehicle tracking software (Campbell IV et al. 2021).

5.2.14 Other Applications

Several relevant international applications were found involving the use of UAVs for traffic monitoring, incident detection, or emergency response.

The Ontario Provincial Police (Canada) uses UAV technology for incident management, including forensic identification and collision scene mapping. The UAV imagery is used to create a 3D visual reconstruction of the crash scene (Gustafson and Sankaran 2019).

A French company offers commercially available tethered UAVs and stations that are capable of collecting data for several hours. The company’s tethered drones can be deployed up to 100 meters. A test case was conducted at a roundabout in Lyon, France, using a helicopter drone tethered to a station (Elistair 2017). Data were collected for 3 hours at an elevation of 70 meters using a standard video camera. The company partnered with another company to process the data and was able to obtain traffic volume, vehicle classification, speed, acceleration, and trajectory information. Other international organizations offer processing software and tether stations that can be utilized with UAVs.

A Danish consulting engineering firm was one of the first organizations to use UAV technology to track and evaluate traffic flow in Denmark (Hansen 2016). The company noted advantages that included the ability to analyze several traffic streams at once and their impact on each other. In one application, the company assessed congestion at a roundabout. The use of drones allowed the company to keep data collection equipment away from traffic and to follow traffic from the roundabout to another location that was contributing to congestion. UAVs were also used to evaluate whether drivers were properly using an extended entrance/exit lane.

In 2017, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, deployed traffic surveillance drones in the city of Dubai to monitor crashes. Once an incident was noted, the drones were programmed to send the information to the RTA, which then notified emergency response teams or sent notifications to the public (Aeromotus 2017).

A group of researchers in Greece created and applied a unique system using 10 drones hovering over the central business district of Athens for several days. The study recorded traffic streams on about 100 km lane-miles of roads, including 100 busy intersections, to obtain a vast dataset on congestion. The study showed how to implement fundamental diagrams, analyze high-congestion locations, and identify lane-changing maneuvers from trajectory data. This experiment is named pNEUMA (New Era of Urban Traffic Monitoring with Aerial Footage) and was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Barmpounakis and Geroliminis 2020).

5.3 Summary of Applications Involving the Use of UAVs for Emergency Response, Traffic Incident Detection, and Traffic Monitoring

Eleven states were found to have piloted or deployed UAVs for traffic monitoring, incident detection, or emergency response, with the majority utilizing UAVs for emergency response. Several international applications were also noted. Common U.S. applications included the use of UAVs for first response, aerial monitoring of incidents, incident detection, and traffic monitoring.

5.3.1 Advantages

Several advantages regarding the use of UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, or traffic monitoring were noted in both the literature and conversations with agencies:

• Reduced need to dispatch a patrol or helicopter,
• Ability to remotely visualize an incident and prioritize a response,
• Ability to clear a scene more quickly,
• Ability to archive a scene for future evaluation,
• Information provided for responders to make decisions quickly,
• Ability to monitor back-of-queue conditions and other traffic situations,
• Increased safety for first responders, and
• Ability to access locations that are unsafe for human inspectors.

5.3.2 Disadvantages

The main disadvantages to the use of UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, or traffic monitoring include the following:

• Benefits comparable to those of a well-placed camera system;
• Regulations that make deployment difficult;
• Unknown costs;
• Inability to access all locations;
• Impact of lightning and other factors;
• Limited function in locations where GPS is blocked;
• Training required for the use of both UAVs and software;
• When used in the vicinity of traffic, potential risk of UAVs entering vehicles’ right of way; and
• Potential distraction to drivers.

5.3.3 Challenges

Challenges to implementing UAVs for emergency response, traffic incident detection, or traffic monitoring include difficulties in understanding the licensing needed and the software required. Additionally, challenges have been encountered with FHWA funding requirements. The inability for agencies to forecast where the UAV market is headed makes it difficult to estimate costs accurately.

The requirement to buy American-made UAVs has made purchasing UAVs challenging. Additionally, costs for UAV equipment and training are not well known for this application, which makes investment challenging.

5.3.4 Costs

Most of the sources consulted did not provide specific estimates of cost. In many cases, UAVs are owned by an agency and utilized for multiple purposes, which makes it difficult to isolate the costs for a given purpose. One source estimated an initial investment between $50,000 and $100,000 for equipment and training, with additional annual investments of around $20,000.

5.3.5 Status

A number of U.S. agencies have implemented UAVs for emergency response, incident detection, or traffic monitoring. While challenges exist, the technology is fully available for implementation.