Health & Fitness
Westport Coronavirus Update: Drones Used To Find 'Hot Spots'
The town is teaming with a company called Draganfly to use drones to scan areas of town to measure body heat and other health data.
WESTPORT, CT — For weeks, Westport was a hot spot for the new coronavirus in Connecticut, as confirmed cases quickly escalated following a private party where dozens of attendees were exposed to the virus.
Though other communities in the state, namely in Fairfield County, have surpassed Westport in the number of reported cases, the town still has close to 200 active infections as of Monday, and Connecticut remains one of the states hit hardest by the virus.
In its ongoing fight against COVID-19, Westport has turned to a pilot program with a company named Draganfly, which flies a drone over parts of the town to scan the body temperature of people, among other measures.
It is the first such initiative — using drones to combat COVID-19 — in Connecticut.
The Canadian-based Draganfly has equipped a "pandemic drone" with specialized sensors and computer vision systems that can measure someone's fever, temperature, heart and respiratory rates, and also detect people sneezing and coughing in crowds. The company says that the technology can accurately detect infectious conditions from a distance of 190 feet as well as measure social distancing. (Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.)
"This program has been tested for approximately the last five days," Westport Police Lt. Anthony Prezioso told Patch. "It is anticipated that this will continue to be in effect through the summer months of July and August as we anticipate the need to continue to work to reinforce social distancing measures in order to limit and control the spread of the COVID-19 virus."
The pandemic drone technology is being tested by the Westport Police Department as a new "Flatten the Curve Pilot Program" and is made possible by the collaboration and integration of technologies developed by Draganfly, Vital Intelligence Inc., a health care data services and deep learning company, and the University of South Australia.
Westport is deploying the technology and data tools "to enhance town services, advance public safety, promote the efficient use of taxpayer dollars, engage residents, and encourage growth in the local economy," Draganfly said.
The company is quick to add that the pandemic drone software "uses biometric readings in its analysis process and does not employ facial recognition technology" to help ensure privacy is protected.
Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe said in a statement that the technology will allow first responders to quickly find people who may be infected.
"We know that social distancing is working to flatten the curve and ultimately saving lives," Marpe said. "In an effort to continue safeguarding the citizens of Westport during the COVID-19 outbreak, and as we position ourselves to gradually return to our routines, we should explore ways to prevent a possible resurgence of the virus. I am proud of how Westport's first responders are handling COVID-19, and how the Westport Police Department in particular is committed to discovering smart solutions for current and future health emergencies."
Prezioso said the general areas in Westport where the department anticipates using the drone would be "public areas which by nature encourage large gatherings of people such as Compo Beach, Wakeman Field, Longshore and other areas where we have already received complaints about potentially unsafe large gatherings."
As many as three department drones can be outfitted with the Draganfly technology.
"Our drone program, although not necessarily used daily, has increased greatly in scope and applications," Prezioso told Patch. "The drone can be and has been used in a number of situations such as for mapping serious motor vehicle accident scenes, locating missing persons, tracking suspects, assisting with surveillance during emergency situations (i.e. barricaded subjects, etc.), and has been used at fire scenes to determine hot spots using thermal imaging to name a few."
Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Capt. Ryan Paulsson discussed the benefits of the initiative.
"Westport and its first responder network is one of the most progressive public safety advocates in the nation," Koskinas said. "They are real pioneers when it comes to adopting and integrating new technology to protect its community. This pandemic has opened up a new frontier and urgent need for the use of drones. Draganfly is the first in the U.S. to implement this state-of-the-art technology to capture and analyze data in a way that has been peer reviewed and clinically researched to save lives."
Paulsson, a certified drone pilot, developed the Westport drone program in 2016 with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
"We are modeling the future of drone integration in public safety by utilizing Draganfly's technology as first responders," Paulsson said in a statement released by Draganfly. "We are honored to be the first law enforcement deployments in the country of this technology that will shape the future of public safety drone integration in the U.S."
