Citymesh has launched Belgium’s first permanently stationed intervention drone at an active airport, at DronePort in Sint-Truiden.
The drone is fully integrated with the local emergency services, can take off within 90 seconds of an emergency call and stream live footage to the South-West Limburg Emergency Services Zone control room. The drone is integrated with the 5G SENSE project, providing the connection required to ensure reliable live footage and remote operation over long distances.
“Even before we head out, we already have a clear view of the severity and scope of the incident,” says zone commander Colonel Bert Swijsen. “This allows us to immediately dispatch the right people and resources, tailored to the actual needs. And once on site, the aerial overview helps us act faster and more precisely.” The drone operator can be contacted for different aerial perspectives as the incident is assessed.
Although it is still a pilot project, Swijsen sees it as a promising step towards smarter emergency response. “Through this test phase, we want to discover where the technology yields the most value and how we can deploy it to the fullest.”
Ward Decaluwe, CEO of DronePort, agrees and says the project “allows us to fully explore and demonstrate the possibilities of drones, with safety and efficiency as top priorities. At the same time, we are making a tangible social contribution by supporting emergency services with the use of innovative technology.”
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