Welsh Ambulance Service deploys new drone for first time

The Welsh Ambulance Service has used its new drone for the first time, enhancing its ability to locate casualties quickly in challenging environments.

Equipped with specialist search capabilities, including thermal imaging, the drone can operate in rain and winds up to 20mph. It was deployed alongside South Wales Police and South Wales Fire and Rescue at the scene of a road traffic collision in Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) was called to the scene when the number of occupants in the vehicle was unclear and there were concerns that others might have left the scene and collapsed in nearby woodland.

Ground crews initially searched using handheld thermal cameras, but the size and terrain of surrounding fields and woodland meant an aerial search was the safest and most effective approach.

“This first deployment of the drone has shown how quickly we can assess large and complex environments for potential casualties. In a life-threatening emergency, every second counts. Using handheld thermal cameras would have taken far longer, but the drone allowed us to rapidly confirm the driver was the only casualty.”

Lee Brooks, Executive Director of Operations, Welsh Ambulance Service.

The drone also features a bespoke in-house live streaming portal, allowing authorised personnel to view its camera feed and gain a real-time aerial perspective.

HART’s specially trained drone pilots completed both theory and practical exams to secure general and visual line of sight licences from the Civil Aviation Authority.

“The drone gives our HART paramedics enhanced situational awareness. It can locate casualties in hard-to-reach locations using thermal imaging and high-resolution cameras, whether in mountainous terrain or on water. It can even identify casualties in the dark.”

Scott Hanson, Digital Innovation Lead, Welsh Ambulance Service.

After the search, the HART team confirmed that no other casualties were in the area.

“This is the first step in using drone technology to support emergency care. By proving this capability now, we are preparing for the next phase, Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, which will allow drones to operate safely at scale and become a routine part of ambulance service response, including the rapid delivery of life-saving equipment like defibrillators.”

Jonny Sammut, Director of Digital Services, Welsh Ambulance Service.

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