Civilian Contributions and Volunteer Efforts

The increasing affordability and accessibility of consumer drones have led to a surge in civilian involvement in disaster response:

• Volunteer groups like First To Deploy and the Unmanned Search and Rescue (USAR) Drone Team have used drones to document destruction, identify areas at risk for further damage, and assist in search efforts.
• Local farmers have repurposed agricultural drones to create makeshift delivery vehicles for food and supplies in hard-to-reach areas.