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Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Captain Ryan Paulsson, head of the department’s drone program, are testing new drone technology called “Flatten the Curve Pilot Program.”
The department partnered with the technology/drone company Draganfly, to test software that can help the community practice safe social distancing while identifying possible coronavirus symptoms.
The testing program seemed a natural fit for testing in Westport which as of Tuesday, April 21, had 198 positive COVID-19 cases, according to state records.
In Fairfield County, three are 8,472 recorded cases with 544 deaths associated with the virus.
The pandemic drone is equipped with a specialized sensor and computer vision systems that can display fever/temperature, heart, and respiratory rates, as well as to detect people sneezing and coughing in crowds, and wherever groups of people may work or congregate, company officials said.
The technology can accurately detect infectious conditions from a distance of 190 feet as well as measure social distancing for proactive public safety practices.
The goal is to make it easier for quicker response time to potential health threats and monitoring support for potential at-risk groups, including seniors, as well as for gathering crowds at beaches, train stations, parks and recreation areas, and shopping centers.
It will not be used in individual private yards, nor does it employ facial recognition technology, the police department said.
And while some people have complained about "big brother" invading their lives or violating their personal rights, Lt. Anthony Prezioso said the drones are simply another tool to use to help reinforce what everyone knows has worked to stop the spread of the pandemic -- social distancing.
“This pandemic has opened up a new frontier and urgent need for the use of drones," said Chief Koskinas. "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.”
The department has been testing the drone for the past several days and plans to continue using it for the next few months.
For additional information about the drones, visit the department's website here.
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