How Drone, 5G, And AI Technologies Are Enabling First Responders

^{By Chuck Brooks and Dr. Thomas Cellucci*}

First responders are special people. They often risk their lives to save people who might not otherwise have encountered them. They include members of the Coast Guard, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, law enforcement, and the military. These leaders need our support and the latest technology to carry out their responsibilities. The capabilities of drones, 5G, and artificial intelligence (AI) are significantly making a difference in their ability to succeed at their jobs.

Drones and Emergency Response

Drones for emergency response are transforming the way first responders work by offering quick assessments, real-time data, and improved situational awareness during emergencies. Drones are extremely versatile and effective when fitted with payloads of cameras, thermal imagers, and other sensors. UAVs can also guide rescue responders to the location or bring life-saving medical supplies.

Police use drones to enhance public safety, investigate crimes, and respond to emergencies. Police drones can be quickly deployed to record accidents, monitor active crime scenes, and conduct surveillance during events with large crowds. The integration of drones into emergency response has revolutionized the way first responders operate, offering unprecedented capabilities that enhance situational awareness and efficiency. Equipped with advanced cameras, thermal imagers, and various sensors, these versatile tools enable rapid assessments and deliver real-time data that are crucial during critical moments. By guiding rescue teams and facilitating the delivery of life-saving medical supplies, drones bolster the effectiveness of emergency operations and contribute to public safety on multiple fronts.

Additionally, their ability to record accidents, monitor crime scenes, and conduct crowd surveillance underscores their invaluable role in both immediate responses and longer-term investigations. As technology continues to evolve, the potential for drones to further transform emergency response efforts remains vast, promising a future where safety and efficiency are paramount in crises.

The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office in Maryland recently touted the first conviction as a result of their Drone as First Responder (DFR) program. Key to the prosecution was drone footage that provided visual evidence of the crime.

The Montgomery County Police caught the crime via their Drone as a First Responder program. Montgomery County Police Captain Nicholas Picerno, who leads the Special Operations Division, highlighted the success of the program. “The Drone as First Responder program has proven to be a transformative tool for the Montgomery County Police Department,” said Picerno. “It allows us to respond more quickly, enhance situational awareness, and ultimately increase the safety of officers and community members.” “In this case, the drone footage was invaluable in securing the conviction.” Montgomery County Drone Conviction – DRONELIFE

In summary, drones can save lives with unmatched speed and precision. They solve serious flaws in traditional emergency systems by enhancing situational awareness, decision-making, and the delivery of essential supplies to even the most challenging locations. Because of their versatility, they are also helpful in a range of circumstances, from natural disasters to urban crises.

The 5G Backbone of First Responder Communications

For public safety to conduct effective response operations, smartphones, tablets, drones, and Internet of Things devices are essential for critical communications. First responder connectivity must go beyond the limited coverage and functionality of Land Mobile Radio (LMR).

Mobile carriers around the world have been in the process of implementing 5G, or the “fifth generation” of cellular network technology. With a peak speed of 10 gigabits per second (Gbit/s), 5G networks provide faster download speeds and more reliability than older networks. 5G also has a significantly lower latency, which allows for almost instantaneous communication over cellular base stations and antennas for first responders.

Wireless connectivity is considered a fundamental concern for two-thirds of first responders. The matter is being addressed. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, among other major telecom carriers, have pledged their commitment to supporting the First Responder Mission on 5G networks.

Recently, T-Mobile announced an innovative solution that allocates a portion of its 5G network to help first responders. Their advanced stand-alone 5G features gives a greater degree of information sharing for data-intensive communications, including files, data, position monitoring, and real-time video. According to T-Mobile’s research, T-Priority, which prioritizes speed for data-intensive communications, can now provide up to 40% more 5G capacity to guarantee first responders can remain connected.

Nicole Hudnet—a disaster response adviser for T-Mobile Business Group—said they have been working to deploy new technologies and deliver increased network coverage to places impacted by wildfires and hurricanes. In response to a spate of wildfires in Southern California earlier this year, T-Mobile activated more than 350 T-Priority hotspots and routers to allow the Los Angeles Fire Department to use the dedicated slice of the provider’s 5G network. T-Mobile is using 5G, drones and AI to help first responders – Nextgov/FCW

Bringing Critical Data to 911 Centers in Real Time

Call centers also play a key role in first responders’ efficacy. Recent advancements in emergency intelligence platforms have introduced AI-powered tools designed to support 911 call centers. By consolidating data from connected devices, AI-driven workflows streamline telecommunicator tasks, reduce cognitive load, and enhance the efficiency of emergency response.

For years, emergency call centers have relied on traditional systems to gather information from distressed callers, often piecing together location details and situational context through frantic conversations. However, the emergence of connected devices, including mobile phones, security cameras, smartwatches, and in-vehicle systems, has changed how emergency intelligence can be collected and utilized.

A company called RapidSOS, RapidSOS Portal Emergency Interface, has played a key role in integrating data from over 540 million connected devices, allowing 911 centers to access details like caller location, emergency contacts, and health profiles. Their platform now includes emergency data from 9,000+ connected schools, tens of millions of vehicles, trains, and trucks, and streaming video feeds from mobile phones and connected security cameras; these data points give responders greater situational awareness, reducing response times and improving the ability to assess emergencies remotely.

“The landscape of emergency response has fundamentally changed. We’re no longer limited to the information provided by a distressed caller,” said Michael Martin, CEO of RapidSOS. “Connected devices, from vehicles to smart buildings, are now rich sources of real-time, life-saving data. This situation involves more than just locating faster; it also emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of an emergency before responders arrive.

AI-Powered Workflows for Faster, Smarter Decision-Making

The work of 911 telecommunicators extends beyond answering calls; they must quickly interpret information, manage multiple screens and systems, and communicate effectively with callers and first responders. The complexity of these tasks increases the risk of errors and delays, particularly when calls involve language barriers or high-stress situations.

The problem isn’t a lack of data and information—it’s simply that there’s too much data for any human to process when every second counts. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role, acting not merely as an additional monitoring system, but rather as a sophisticated collaborator that effectively filters out irrelevant information and provides precise, actionable insights when they are most needed.

Peregrine Technologies, Peregrine – Home, is a company that integrates and analyzes large and complex data stores and streams to create intelligence and inform enterprise decision-making for law enforcement and public safety agencies across the country. Peregrine’s decision-support platform merges back-end AI software tools that integrate and model data—from license plate reads to 911 calls—with front-end applications to help command staff and users up and down agencies access critical insights from their data to conduct real-time crime analysis, support investigatory work, and make , evidence-based decisions around resource allocation and incident response.

In practice, this might mean an AI system that receives crash data directly from a vehicle, automatically determines crash severity based on speed, impact angle, and airbag deployment, identifies the likely injuries based on these factors– and rapidly presents telecommunicators with clear recommendations for response resources—all before the first 911 call is even answered!

By viewing AI as an assistant that manages complexity and provides context, emergency services can address their greatest challenges: staff shortages, increasing call volumes, growing data complexity, and the need for faster responses.

The emergency response integration of 5G, AI, and drones provides technological advancements and brings a fundamental change in how communities are protected when they need it most in a field where seconds can decide results and accurate information saves lives.

In addition to and including the foraging of AI, 5G, and drone technologies, One World For Life , One World For Life – Connecting First Responders Around The Globe , a non-profit organization created by Hon. Curt Weldon, who also founded the Congressional Fire Fighters Caucus, was established to bring first responders together around the world and to find and use the right military and civilian technology to mitigate the severity of loss, improve response and recovery, predict and prevent disasters, and improve first responders’ safety and protection.

The organization’s goals entail identifying and cataloguing dual-use technologies that are now in use around the world and fostering laboratory- and university-based research that may have an impact on catastrophe prediction, prevention, response, mitigation, recovery, prevention, and prediction. Additionally, the goal is to identify the technologies that can aid in the creation of new emergency, regional, and global capacities.

These initiatives and combined efforts to use new technologies for disaster response are vital, as first responders are there for us when we need them!

* ^{Chuck Brooks serves as President of Brooks Consulting International. He has over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, emerging technologies, marketing, business development, and government relations. He is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in the Cyber Risk Management Program. Chuck has received numerous global accolades for his work and promotion of cybersecurity. Recently, he was named the top cybersecurity expert to follow on social media, and also as one top cybersecurity leaders for 2025. He has also been named “Cybersecurity Person of the Year” by Cyber Express, Cybersecurity Marketer of the Year, and a “Top 5 Tech Person to Follow” by LinkedIn” where he has 125,000 followers on his profile. He is the author of the book “Inside Cyber: How AI, 5G, IoT, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security.”}

^{* H.E. The Hon, Sir Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, PhD, MBA is a serial entrepreneur, currently managing several high-tech firms. He was appointed the US Department of Homeland Security’s Director of the Research & Development Partnerships (RDP) Group managing over $12B in assets and over1700 team members. He was also the first Chief Commercialization Officer in the US Federal Executive Branch and continues to assist the President of the United States and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. In 1999, he founded Cellucci Associates, Inc. with headquarters at Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. Cellucci writes about the intersection of emerging technology, commercialization, and implementation to protect the homeland.}