Extending 118 mile east from the New York Harbor lies Long Island, NY. While most people consider it to be made up of just Nassau and Suffolk counties, it also includes Brooklyn and Queens in its region. The 2017 census found that 7,869,820 people, 40% of the state of New York’s population, call Long Island their home making it the most populous island within the US, 18th in the world. It is home to a wide range of cultural and economic backgrounds. The Island is made up of small communities, large suburban sprawls, and some of the most expensive shoreline properties in the world. When it comes to the technologies used by the Island’s public service departments, they work along a progressive mind set.

The NYPD, the largest police department in the United States of America, is often in the news for their drone programs. The department has been using drones in a number of mission scenarios since 2018. They have one of the largest police drone programs in the nation. Though the municipalities throughout Long Island are far smaller than those found in Manhattan, they too have embraced how drones can benefit public works. Considering that Long Island is home to two of the busiest airports in the country, LaGuardia and JFK, using drones around the no fly zones have been difficult, but not a reason to avoid them all together. In fact, some of Long Island’s public works departments began using drones long before the NYPD.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 Smithtown, Long Island began using drones to assess the damage to their community. Much of Long Island was hit pretty hard during the storm. Communities were dealing with downed trees and power lines, and major flooding. Being able to assess the damage as quick as possible meant authorities could prioritize a plan of action and property owners could submit insurance claims so they could get back to their normal lives. Smithtown Public Safety Chief John Valentine said that using a drone to do this was not only the fastest option but also saved the town a lot of money. Typically, operations like this would be carried out by a very expensive helicopter. The other option would be to send out ground crews which were not only costly, but took way to long to complete assessments. “It’s become one of our go-to tools very quickly,” Chief Valentine said in regards to the drone.

After realizing how much the drones made life easier, Smithtown began using them in other areas. The town planners have always used cameras to assess property growth in Smithtown. As planning chief Peter Hans says, “Now we just have one that flies.” The drone can be used to over see the town’s frequent construction projects to make sure things are operating as planned. This could mean making sure the blue prints on Hans’s computer match up with what is being built outside, or ensuring all work is meeting compliance standards.

The fire department also has a drone that is used to scope out fires before a crew goes into action. The drone is operated by John Gonzales, a communications technician and third assistant chief for the St. James Fire Department. The drone shows the firefighters where critical areas of a fire are, if there are victims trapped, and helps them plan for things like where to position ladders and hoses. Gonzales also began flying the drone to aid in water rescue missions on the nearby Nissequogue River and Long Island Sound. When it comes to such missions, every second counts Gonzales points out. “The drone does 40 miles per hour, the boat does 10,” he said, making it a critical rescue tool.

After two children were bitten by sharks in the waters of Fire Island, state park police began using drones to monitor for the dangerous creatures swimming in the shallows. Maj. Anthony Astacio, commanding officer for state park police on Long Island, said about deploying the drones, “It just makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?” The drones are able to give officers on the beach a higher quality, live image of what is happening in the water than what they could get with an expensive helicopter. If a shark, a suspicious object, or even a struggling swimmer is spotted, life guards and emergency crew can respond quickly. Not only can the response time be faster, but the drone will allow rescuers to know exactly where to focus their intentions in the ever changing water currents.

While drone usage often comes with concerns of privacy issues, Maj. Astacio said he hadn’t found that to be an issue. “The extra eyes on the water make people feel safe, keeps them safe,” he said. And that is what seems to be the general consensus for those towns in Long Island where drones are being deployed. Throughout the many communities of Long Island, these drones are being used by police, fire, and emergency departments as well as public works offices. These drones are ensuring that one of the most densely populated areas of New York is being kept safe and running smoothly. From assessing property damage to property development, to saving lives on the water or in a burning building, drones have stepped in to enhance performance ability.

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