On Sunday night, the Rensselaer City Fire Department (RCFD) and city law‑enforcement teamed up to locate a missing adult who had not been seen for several hours. The joint public‑safety drone team, which includes members of both the police and fire departments, deployed a drone equipped with thermal imaging around 9 p.m.
Rapid deployment and successful find
Assistant Fire Chief Randy Cherubino explained that the drone was requested promptly and got airborne within minutes. Within 45 minutes of launch, the aerial crew spotted the individual sitting beneath a city sign on the Hudson River bank. Because the area was dark, ground crews could not see the person on foot.
Firefighter and investigator David Phillips, who was off‑duty but volunteered to help operate the drones, described the moment of discovery: “In one of the pictures, the way he was in a ball, just to the naked eye, he kind of looked like a rock from a distance. Once he stood out, we were able to zoom in, and we noticed that it actually wasn’t a rock; it was him.”
Thermal imaging training and capabilities
Earlier that week, two RCFD drone pilots completed thermal‑imaging training at the New York State Preparedness Center in Oriskany, a program conducted in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. Phillips noted that the technology “shows heat whenever there’s no actual light source,” allowing operators to detect people, animals, hot spots or cold spots even in complete darkness.
RCFD has operated drones for roughly three years, and officials say the equipment has become a critical tool for a variety of missions. “Honestly, we never thought we would use them as much as we do. We use them frequently, just as we would use fire apparatus for building fires,” Cherubino said. He added that the department has deployed drones six or seven times that month alone, supporting not only fire incidents but also law‑enforcement‑sensitive missions, missing‑person searches, and even assisting neighboring towns.
Outcome and next steps
The missing individual was found safe and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The successful rescue underscores how emerging technologies like drones and thermal imaging are enhancing the ability of local first responders to protect vulnerable residents, especially in low‑visibility conditions.
RCFD plans to continue expanding its drone program, integrating additional training and exploring new applications that can further improve public safety across Rensselaer and the surrounding capital district.
Original reporting: CBS 6 WRGB Albany (local) — read the source article.
