KUCHING: Drones can be used as a supporting unit and first response in search and rescue (SAR) operations, said Sarawak Civil Defence Force (APM) captain Winston Lim.
The state APM has set up a drone unit in 2015 principally to assist the main team in search and rescue operations.
“For example, just recently we had the haze and forest fires. We deployed our drones to have a look at the hotspot areas.
“Once we were able to target the area, we were able to deploy our ground staff,” Lim explained when met at the Borneo International Drone and Robotics Explore (Drobotex) 2019 held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday.
According to him, this saved a lot of time and enabled the team to cover a wider area. “Drones are useful to get a good aerial coverage on what the situation is actually like.”
He expressed pride that Sarawak APM was the first to establish a proper drone unit including development and training. “Penang and Kedah have only just recently set up their unit,” he noted.
Sarawak APM currently has four drone platoons — in Kuching, Betong, Limbang and Bintulu.
“We have a training scheme to train our own pilots. Training takes four days, inclusive of theory and practical,” he elaborated.
Showing two of Sarawak APM’s drones which were on display at their Drobotex 2019 exhibition, Lim pointed to the DJI Inspire model — the larger of the two — and explained that it was for more elaborate operations.
“This model can carry a payload of up to one kilogramme. It can be a life jacket, medical supplies, or a walkie-talkie,” he said.
He revealed that this was especially useful in situations which are deemed too dangerous to deploy ground crew. In such cases, sending over a walkie-talkie to establish communication with a victim would allow Sarawak APM to evaluate the full situation before launching rescue operation.
Lim said their other model, the DJI Phantom, was favoured for general operations as its landing gear makes it easier to fly from boats. Boats are commonly used to access the interior parts of Sarawak, so this factor is indeed useful.
