TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan English, CEO and co-founder of Tampa tech company FLYMOTION, believes drones are a lot like K-9 units.
“[With law enforcement using drones] it’s a lot like the 1970s when K-9 units started up,” says English. “Every agency now has a K-9 unit. The drone unit is the next phase of that.”
FLYMOTION blends high-flying skill and surveillance with intricate on-the-ground technology and communication.
The company worked with both the U.S. Department of Defense and New York Police Department. Now law enforcement agencies on both sides of Tampa Bay are calling on FLYMOTION to help them utilize drone technology to help people and catch suspects.
“A lot of the agencies we work with might not have an aviation unit,” says English, who recently aided first responders in Jacksonville find a missing 9-year-old girl. “These agencies might be waiting 30, 60 minutes for a helicopter to come into their scene. Now with a drone, they’re up in the air in minutes with a bird’s eye view.”
FLYMOTION also used drones to survey damage following Hurricane Irma when much of the terrain was too tough to navigate on foot or in a vehicle.
