• Find out how FPV drones are benefiting public safety;

• Testimonials from Lincolnshire Police, Search and Rescue Aerial Association - Scotland, and UKERRO, highlight the advantages of deploying FPV drones for emergency response;

• FPV drones are utilised for navigating hazardous environments and reaching tough-to-access areas: Improving safety and situational awareness in the process;

• The DJI Avata Series and DJI Neo Series have emerged as reliable FPV drones for public safety, thanks to their compact frame, full-coverage propeller guards, and 4K video capabilities.

Protected by full-coverage propeller guards, flying through tiny spaces, and providing real-time intelligence to officers located in a position of safety — this video shows how DJI Avata 2 FPV drone benefited Lincolnshire Police during a drugs bust.

It epitomises how FPV drones have become a key tool for public safety — offering enhanced situational awareness, greater safety and improved incident response to help save lives and protect communities.

Thanks to their speed, agility, and size, nimble FPV platforms are being deployed across the emergency services sector, from navigating collapsed structures to scouting hazardous environments and squeezing through tight gorges and ravines during search and rescue operations.

In this blog, we highlight how FPV drones benefit public safety operations - with testimonies from Lincolnshire Police, Search and Rescue Aerial Association - Scotland, and UKERRO (UK Emergency Robotics Responders Organisation).

Key takeaways

• FPV drones navigate confined, hazardous spaces without risking personnel.

• Police use FPV drones for drugs busts, firearms incidents, and building searches.

• Search and rescue teams use them to access gorges, gullies, and stream beds.

• Urban search and rescue and fire crews use FPV drones to assess dangerous environments and locate casualties faster.

• Many public safety agencies are using the DJI Avata Series, thanks to their compact size, 4K imaging, and protected propeller guards. The DJI Neo Series is also a powerful FPV drone for emergency services.

• heliguy™ is a trusted partner of UK public safety organisations and can help your team start and scale emergency operations with drones.

Expert insight

“FPV drones have evolved from specialist hobbyist tools into frontline public-safety assets. Their ability to operate in confined, hazardous, or structurally unstable spaces gives responders intelligence they simply couldn’t get before — all while keeping personnel out of danger.”

— Matthew Cairns, heliguy™ public safety enterprise account manager

DJI FPV drones: A key tool for public safety

Before we delve into the case studies, let's explore why the features of DJI FPV drones - such as the DJI Avata Series, and even the DJI Neo family - make them ideal for public safety operations.

Highlights include:

• Small and lightweight frame for easy transportation and ability to navigate small spaces: DJI Avata 2 (377g); DJI Neo 2 (sub 200g).

• Full-coverage propeller guards protect the propellers for safety in tight and complex environments.

• 4K video.

• Dynamic control - via either a traditional RC or Motion Controller (wrist movements).

So, let's look at how these drones are being used for public safety.

FPV drones for police

Within Lincolnshire Police’s thriving drone division, the DJI Avata 2 has become a vital tool — particularly for high-risk scenarios such as drug busts and firearms operations.

Its ability to navigate tight, confined spaces — including indoors — allows officers to assess situations before deploying personnel, improving both operational safety and situational awareness.

“We conduct around 120 drone deployments a month, and while FPV operations aren’t our bread and butter, they are invaluable for very specific incidents,” said the Force’s Chief Drone Pilot, Sergeant Kevin Taylor.

FPV drones give officers the ability to fly through doors and windows, inspect vehicles in difficult environments like water-filled ditches, or even deliver equipment such as mobile phones during negotiator scenarios.

“We also conduct perching,” Sergeant Taylor explained.

“That means placing an FPV drone outside a door where we know there’s an armed or dangerous suspect on the other side. We can keep it there and monitor if that person comes out.”

Real-world deployments

FPV drones have already proved their worth in live policing operations. For example, they have been used to inspect suspected grow houses, where conditions can be dangerous.

“These situations often involve small, tight spaces like lofts, and they can present serious risks — armed suspects, unsafe electrics, or even boobytraps,” said Sergeant Taylor.

“We can use FPV drones to check the environment and even follow the path of the wiring to see where it leads.”

In firearms operations, FPV drones can be deployed in conjunction with police dogs.

“Sometimes we’ll put the drone in before the dog,” said Sergeant Taylor.

“There might be needles, broken glass, or other hazards on the floor that could injure the dog. An FPV drone allows us to clear and monitor the scene first.”

Training in action

The Force also uses FPV technology in major training exercises. Each year, Lincolnshire Police simulates a train crash, with 'casualties' placed across multiple carriages.

“With an FPV drone, we can instantly see how many casualties there are and assess who is responsive and unresponsive,” said Sergeant Taylor.

“We can also check whether the electronics are safe and carry out a rapid casualty assessment — all in real time.”

Control and agility

Avata drones can be flown using either a standard RC or the Motion Controller, which relies on wrist movements for intuitive navigation.

“I love the Motion Controller,” said Sergeant Taylor.

“It’s definitely the preferred choice. It’s so nimble that you feel you have more control when navigating through tight spaces.”

FPV drones for search and rescue

FPV drones are proving to be an invaluable tool for search and rescue.

The Search and Rescue Aerial Association (SARAA) – Scotland operates DJI Avata aircraft, which are deployed to access difficult-to-reach areas — such as gorges, overgrown stream beds, and gullies — and to examine items of interest more closely.

“FPV drones reduce or negate the risk to our volunteers and increase the efficiency of our operations,” said SARAA Training Officer, Darryl Ashford-Smith.

“They may remove the need for team members to work at height, or in or close to water, and enable us to quickly assess awkward areas for casualties, clues, or access.”

FPV drones in action for search and rescue

Darryl first witnessed the benefits of FPV drones during urban search and rescue, where DJI Avatas were used to search buildings following structural collapse. 

Integrating them into SARAA operations has already provided benefits of efficiency in search and negating risk, although not without limitations, as a Visual Observer is still required to maintain visual line of sight.

He said: “We have attended a number of incidents where our pilots have deployed to assist in multi-agency searches for high-risk missing persons.

"The team used FPV drones to search gorge and overgrown and difficult areas while a DJI Matrice 4T provided ‘overwatch’ thermal imagery and AI support. Thankfully, the missing person was traced safe and well.”

FPV drone training

To ensure effective deployment, SARAA places strong emphasis on training. 

During the association’s Annual Training Weekend, pilots honed their skills by flying DJI Avatas through specifically constructed obstacle courses designed to replicate the agility required on real incidents.

FPV requires a different set of skills normally required of a Mountain Rescue Drone Pilot, so enabling pilots to practice these different skills in a controlled environment is important. 

A registered charity, SARAA was formed in 2018 to facilitate the use of drones within Scottish Mountain Rescue. It has around 30 drone pilots who operate a diverse DJI fleet, including Mini and Mavic aircraft, the DJI M30T, the DJI M4T, and the DJI Avata.

UKERRO: FPV drones for urban search and rescue/firefighting

Lee Newman, a RPAS pilot for London Fire Brigade and UK International Search and Rescue, as well as co-founder of UKERRO, said FPV drones have become a valuable tool for public safety, including firefighting and urban search and rescue.

He said: "FPV drones give urban search and rescue and firefighting teams rapid, precise situational awareness in places too dangerous or inaccessible for responders. Their agility lets us inspect collapsed structures and hazardous spaces without risking personnel”

He said FPV drones provide the ability to quickly locate casualties, assess hazards, and map safe entry routes, significantly speeding up decision-making and improving responder safety.

Drones such as the DJI Avata 2 can be fitted with accessories to offer further protection during missions, such as lighting, or an accessory like the SAR-DOME v1 – a protective dome (pictured below) designed specifically for the DJI Avata 2 made by FPV pilot and firefighter, Tom Palmaers.

UKERRO is the UK group for emergency responders using drones and robotics.

FPV drones for public safety: Summary

FPV drones have long been associated with high-adrenaline racing and immersive content creation — but now they have emerged as a crucial tool for public safety operations.

With their protected props, small frame, and quality imaging, DJI drones such as the DJI Avata (and DJI Neo) offer emergency services teams a new dimension of tactical advantage in complex scenarios.

By combining agility, precision, and safety, FPV platforms are helping personnel respond to high-risk incidents more effectively and efficiently.

heliguy™ is a trusted partner of UK emergency services organisations, offering supply, consultancy, and training. To start and scale your public safety operations, contact our enterprise specialists today.