Page 43 - College Planning & Management, June 2017
P. 43
Aside from extreme cases like an active shooter situation, drones can also be helpful during natural disasters and the resulting search efforts. “We recently had massive tornados that tore through campus at the Univer- sity of Alabama. Police and campus security having drones in a situation like this is very useful for search and rescue operations,” says Speegle. Be- ing able to observe a situation from the air allows first responders to get a clearer idea of what needs to be done, and what complications may arise.
Along with giving those who deal with large on-campus crowds or emer- gency events a better vantage point, drones can also be far more cost effec- tive than other solutions, like helicop- ters. Helicopters can reach into over $1,000 per hour, according to Speegle,
I’LL BE WATCHING YOU. The use of drones to monitor and enhance campus safety is, at this time, a topic still under much discussion as legal, safety, regulatory and insurance concerns are mapped out. One thing for certain, however, is that
the role of UAVs will continue to evolve. One forward-thinking proposed use is as companions to walk students home at night. Drones would be equipped with LED lights, a wide-angle camera, a microphone and a speaker (for voice activation). Similar to the follow-me drones used for cinematography, they can follow students using an image-tracking camera or link to a companion smartphone app.
PHOTO © FRANCESCO DE MARCO
KEEPING YOUR CAMPUS
SAFE AND SECURE
Find The Right Balance With Calpipe Security Bollards
Your campus has to be safe for everyone’s use, and secure from anyone who intends harm. Balancing architectural needs with safety and security requirements is no easy task. Let the experts at Calpipe Security Bollards .
CALPIPEBOLLARDS.COM • (877) 283-8518 PROUDLY MADE IN AMERICA
Untitled-4 1
12/20/16 1:36 PM
JUNE 2017 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 43
