The Importance of DJI Drones in Saving Lives (and Money)

In a recent letter to the Connecticut General Assembly, Deputy Chief Mark Gentile of the Rocky Hill Fire Department strongly opposed Senate Bill 3, which includes a ban on the purchase and use of Chinese DJI drones and other foreign-made drones. Gentile argues that the ban would be detrimental to their drone program and their ability to protect the community, as DJI drones play a crucial role in various life-saving missions.

The Versatility of DJI Drones

The Rocky Hill Fire Department, in collaboration with the Rocky Hill Police Department, operates a drone program using multiple DJI platforms, including the DJI Matrice 300, DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advance, and the DJI Avata. These drones serve various purposes within the police and fire industry, such as:

• Seeing through smoke and detecting heat during a fire, providing critical information to incident commanders
• Providing access to areas not accessible by officers, allowing for better organization of actions
• Searching for missing persons
• Investigating hazardous materials incidents
• Assessing damage after severe weather

Deputy Chief Gentile states, “This is a small sample of the life-saving missions our drones respond to multiple times every month.”

The Cost-Effectiveness of DJI Drones

During the purchasing process for their drone program, the Rocky Hill Fire Department investigated several platforms from manufacturers across the globe. The DJI platform proved to be the most capable and cost-effective option for their tight municipal budget.

In comparison, US-manufactured drones were less capable and significantly more expensive, often requiring the purchase of several drones to achieve the same capabilities as a single DJI aircraft.

The banning of the DJI platform would be detrimental to our program and our ability to protect our community. In addition, banning our DJI platform would be a waste of taxpayer money. Several platforms were investigated during the purchasing process for our drone program. Drone manufacturers from across the globe were considered. The DJI platform was the most capable program costing the least amount of funding on a tight municipal budget. The drones manufactured in the United States were not as capable and significantly more expensive for base model units. In many instances, the Town of Rocky Hill would be required to purchase several drones to achieve the same capabilities as just our Matrice 300 aircraft. In addition, a single US-manufactured aircraft is nearly three times the cost. Fiscal responsibility should be considered when working with a municipal budget.

Mark Gentile, Deputy Chief of the Rocky Hill Fire Department.

Addressing Security Concerns

While acknowledging the security concerns associated with foreign-made platforms, Deputy Chief Gentile argues that these concerns can be mitigated using simple procedures. For example, using hot spots through Apple iPads instead of connecting drones through a municipal internet connection can protect local infrastructure. Additionally, drones can be flown with internet connectivity turned off to prevent security threats.

We understand the security concerns of foreign-made platforms. Some drone platforms communicate with the manufacturer regarding flights performed. However, these concerns can all be mitigated using very simple procedures, and in fact, the DJI platform requires authorizations in many situations our cyber security experts are trying to protect where the United States manufacturers do not require the same level of protection.

Mark Gentile, Deputy Chief of the Rocky Hill Fire Department.

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The Need for Competitive US-Made Drones

Deputy Chief Gentile emphasizes that until the US market can produce a drone that competes with the DJI platform in terms of capability and cost, the Rocky Hill Fire Department must oppose Senate Bill 3.

He states, “As First Responders, we prefer to purchase American-made products, but those products must be able to provide the solutions we require to do our jobs effectively and efficiently.”

The letter from Deputy Chief Mark Gentile serves as a powerful testament to the importance of DJI drones in saving lives and protecting communities. By highlighting the versatility, cost-effectiveness, and potential for mitigating security concerns associated with DJI drones, Gentile makes a compelling case against the proposed ban. As he aptly puts it, “This bill does not protect our consumers. It places our communities at risk.”

Photos courtesy of the Rocky Hill Fire Department.