Photo courtesy of Wagoner County Police Department

08 December 2025

Today, first responders in America often deploy drones for disaster and public safety missions. Drones can be the swift answer when a lack of officers can't effectively or efficiently help on the ground—especially in situations where the terrain is dense. In addition, a drone equipped with a thermal camera can reduce search time from hours or days to mere minutes—an incrediable benefit when time is of the essence in finding survivors.

For example, a DJI Matrice 30 recently assisted in the rescue of a missing 90-year-old Atoka County, Oklahoma man. He had been lost for almost 12 hours in freezing temperatures. Oklahoma officers asked for help, but the National Guard and other ground crews being called to the scene, it was the drone team at the Wagoner County Emergency Management that found the man's location. 

Within 15 minutes after launch, volunteer pilot Eric Lane reported his drone's thermal camera picked up a heat signature in the woods. Switching to a visual camera, Lane saw the man—as well as his dog, Daisy—huddled together to use their body heat to survive the frigid night. Lane also used his drone's speaker to announce to the man that help was on the way. Rescue personnel was dispatched to the area to bring the man and pup home, and offer whatever medical assistance was needed.

This happy ending isn't the only one logged by Wagoner County Emergency Management. Director Tyler Puckett shared that drones are deployed almost daily to guide firefighters through grass fires, locate missing juveniles, track crime suspects, and more.

Unfortunately, the Matrice 30's career as an airborne first responder is threatened by the United States government's pending ban of DJI drones. The Matrice 30 is well suited for search and rescue missions, as it can fly for up to 41 minutes, can climb to nearly 23,000 feet, has good wind resistance, is fast, and can handle harsh environments.