Last week, we took part in the "Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Week" (HNPW) in Geneva. Together with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), we presented our drone project. Dr Steven Bayer explained the possibilities of using the data obtained during drone flights for worldwide operations in disaster situations. This offers great added value, particularly for the UN's United Nations Command Centre (UCC) and the individual search and rescue teams. "The drone is ready for use within a few minutes, can fly over an area of several square kilometres in an hour and thus provide information on the situation in the area of operation in the shortest possible time," explains Bayer, who is responsible for International Relations and Research at ISAR. "The drone images show, for example, whether buildings have been destroyed, whether there are crowds of people and whether the roads are passable. The images are geo-referenced, accurate to the centimetre and can be compared with maps. This means that the incident command and rescue teams have comprehensive information even before the ground-based reconnaissance." The participants at the HPNW in Geneva showed great interest in the project, as it can help to provide faster and more effective assistance in disaster areas.
In Geneva, Dr Steven Bayer also attended the meeting of the steering group of the UN organisation INSARAG on behalf of ISAR Germany. The group meets regularly to discuss the strategy for future work in international search and rescue operations. During the meeting, discussions were also held with representatives of the THW and the Federal Foreign Office.