Verizon Frontline and NOAA to partner on advanced disaster response research
06 Mai 2024 - 6:40PM
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
Verizon Frontline have signed a three-year Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement to explore new strategies to rapidly deploy
uncrewed aircraft systems to collect and distribute imagery of
damage resulting from severe storms such as tornadoes or
hurricanes.
As part of this partnership, the Verizon Frontline Crisis
Response Team will provide the uncrewed aircraft system platform,
sensor, and personnel resources needed to rapidly respond and
collect aerial imagery of storm-damaged areas of interest
identified by NOAA.
The goal is to enhance the ability of NOAA’s National Weather
Service offices to quickly conduct post-storm damage assessments,
while also providing data for research conducted by the NOAA
National Severe Storms Laboratory.
This data will be used to help researchers better understand
tornado behavior and impacts with a goal of improving warnings.
“This collaboration has the potential to demonstrate how
partnerships with Verizon and other organizations to gather drone
imagery can significantly improve the services provided by the NWS
to the public and partners when disaster strikes,” said Tim Oram,
NWS Southern Region Headquarters Meteorological Services Branch
Chief.
The CRADA specifically applies to the NWS Southern Region and
NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory.
“This partnership will help pioneer new strategies aimed at
gathering and disseminating crucial imagery, leveraging our
collective expertise to enhance response efforts to severe storms
and mitigate their impact on communities across the U.S.," said
Michael Adams, associate vice president for federal civilian
services at Verizon.
Typically after a storm, National Weather Service personnel
perform damage surveys and gather data to assign tornado ratings,
document a storm’s path, and improve the accuracy of future tornado
forecasts. Uncrewed aircraft systems provide an advantage because
they can more efficiently gather critical information in remote,
hard-to-reach areas where it is difficult for people to travel. In
the past, NOAA has used uncrewed systems for some storm damage
assessment. This new partnership is designed to supplement existing
resources and gather more information more quickly.
“After a crisis, the first imagery that any emergency management
agency or similar public safety agency gets is typically satellite
data and the resolution isn’t ideal,” said Chris Sanders of the
Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team. “What we’re aiming to do
through our partnership with NOAA is develop ways to get these
agencies high-resolution imagery much faster than they can get it
today by using our robust network and rapid-mapping
capabilities.”
Verizon Frontline is the advanced network and technology built
for first responders – developed over three decades of partnership
with public safety officials and agencies on the front lines – to
meet their unique and evolving needs.
NOAA regularly partners with private sector companies through
CRADAs to conduct research and development work that is mutually
beneficial and helps to accomplish NOAA’s mission.
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing
environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and
conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA
science, services and stewardship benefit your community: Visit
noaa.gov for our latest news and features, and join us on social
media.
Media contacts: Eric Durie, eric.durie@verizon.com, (516)
382-8219Keli Pirtle, keli.pirtle@noaa.gov, (405) 203-4839
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ)
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