Asheville, North Carolina, October 2024 – When Hurricane Heleneslammed into Asheville, leaving the city battered and isolated, the local police department turned to an unlikely source for help: Paladin, a public safety drone startup.
The storm’s fury brought down power lines, blocked roads, and cut off communication networks, leaving residents stranded and in need of urgent assistance. But Paladin, with its remote drone control technology, was able to rise to the challenge, providing vital support from hundreds of miles away.
Paladin’s team, based in Houston, Texas, worked tirelessly through the weekend, utilizing their software to remotelypilot drones over the storm-ravaged city. These drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging capabilities, were able to locate stranded individuals, assess damage, and deliver critical supplies.
“We were able to fly dronesin areas where it was too dangerous for first responders to go,” explained Paladin founder and CEO Divy Shrivastava. “We were able to see things that were impossible to see from the ground, and we were able to help people in ways that would have been impossible without our technology.”
The success of Paladin’s deployment in Asheville highlights the growing potential of drone technology in emergency response situations. Shrivastava believes this event has solidified the future of the drone industry: “It painted a clear picture for me of what the future of the drone industry will look like. We were grateful that Asheville trusted us to help.”
While Paladin’stechnology proved invaluable during Hurricane Helene, its origins lie in a broader mission to enhance first responder capabilities. The company’s drone platform is designed to provide real-time situational awareness, allowing law enforcement and emergency personnel to make faster and more informed decisions.
The success of Paladin in Asheville is a testament to the transformative power of technologyin disaster relief. As climate change continues to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the role of drone technology in emergency response is likely to become even more crucial.
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