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The Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted a survey to explore ways in which drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), are currently being used in public safety operations and identify potential opportunities for drones to improve operations in the future. The participants of the survey included 183 first responders, and the responses were collected in the time period of April through July 2019. The results and further analysis of the survey are explored in this report.
Nguyen, H.
, Manley, T.
and Saidi, K.
(2020),
Survey of Drone Usage in Public Safety Agencies, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8305
(Accessed October 10, 2025)