Versaterm integrates drone operations into CAD to streamline emergency response

Versaterm, the public safety solutions company, has announced the integration of drone operations directly into its computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. Enabled by the company’s acquisition of DroneSense, the new functionality allows public safety agencies to deploy drone flights as seamlessly as dispatching any patrol, fire or emergency medical services (EMS) unit. The integration provides incident commanders with a more comprehensive view of every emergency from the initial 911 call to the final report.

The integration arrives as the public safety landscape prepares for a new phase of drone adoption. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently considering new beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) rules that would ease operational limits and accelerate the use of drones in the field.

According to Versaterm’s 2025 Public Safety Trends Survey, 61% of police leaders expect their drone budgets to increase over the next year, with top priorities including search and rescue missions, large event security and drone-as-first-responder (DFR) programs.

The integration showcases several key capabilities designed to enhance situational awareness and streamline response:

• Real-time location tracking with drone locations displayed on the map viewer alongside other responding units
• Drones as dispatchable units where each drone is assigned within Versaterm CAD and quickly deployed just like a patrol, fire or EMS unit
• Integrated live video feeds display real-time streams directly within the Versaterm CAD map viewer and Versaterm MDT status screens, eliminating the need to switch between applications.

“We kept asking ourselves why deploying a drone should be harder than dispatching a patrol vehicle,” said Rohan Galloway-Dawkins, Chief Product Officer at Versaterm. “Now dispatchers can launch a drone with a few clicks and watch the live video feed right in their CAD system. It’s really that simple.”

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