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The Western Cape Health Department is showing off a new weapon to be used in rescue operations.
The Western Cape Government Health’s (WCGH’s) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has become the first Government institution in South Africa that will be allowed to fly drones legally. These drones will be used to help identify wildfires amid fire season and assist in rescue operations. The Western Cape Government explains that the drones, which form part of the EMS Drone Rescue Project, may fly over public spaces, roads, people and national key points with permission from landowners or its representatives. This will help fire fighters identify and put out fires much faster. The project rolled out on Tuesday, 15 December 2020 and allows registered drone pilots employed by the Cape Town’s EMS services to deploy in mountainous regions to assist search and rescue missions. Initially, the drones will monitor Table Mountain but the Provincial Government hope to expand to more rural areas in time. EMS director Dr Shaheem de Vries said that the department had registered pilots who would be assisting crews on the ground over the festive season. "We are the first state-owned licenced operator and we would like to see this grow to other rescue services and parts of the city as well." For the moment, the focus is on the Table Mountain range, which can be dangerous both for hikers getting into trouble and for those being targeted by criminals. "For instance, if a hiker falls on the mountain and is injured and the rest of his party can't get to him, in that sort of scenario you can deploy the drone, you can see precisely what the situation is and actually plan your rescue." Wilderness Search and Rescue’s incident commander, Roy van Schoor, said that the drones would also be available to search the surf on nearby beaches when necessary.
“The drone is going to aid in getting quicker to the patient, finding them and making the whole rescue operation a lot sooner," said Fabian Higgins, EMS Flight Operations Manager. "Hopefully, because we [are] saving a lot of time dispatching people to look on the mountain… with the thermal imaging camera we can pick heat signatures and identify people on the mountain.” The Health Department in the province says these drones won't replace current methods used but will give a quick assessment during an emergency. Western Cape Health authorities say they plan to expand the use of these drones, even in remote rural areas as well as the Garden Route. Sources: EWN, Cape Town Etc, ENCA |
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