Most fire service drone programs start the same way. A Pelican case in the back of an SUV, a folding table at the incident, a hunt for a charged battery in the dark. The flying gets serious before the logistics do.
Boston Fire fixed that. Their drone team, one of the busiest in the country, now works out of a Ford Transit built out through Darley’s Rapid Command Vehicle program. Every aircraft, battery, and controller has its own compartment. Onboard power keeps them charged between calls, and Starlink and 5G cellular keep live video in front of command from anywhere in the city. A pilot can sit down at the workstation, close the door, and fly for hours instead of standing at a tailgate in the weather.
A full-scale mobile command center is a significant investment, and a chief’s SUV was never meant to carry a drone program in the tailgate. This rig sits between the two, with room for a second pilot, protected seating, and a place for every piece of gear.
For programs that want to start smaller, Darley builds the same capability as a standalone module that drops into an off-the-shelf SUV.
Reach out to KevinSofen@darley.com to learn more.
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