Bruce McPherson

Impossible Aerospace has launched a product called Air Support that the company says will “forever transform the world’s cities and the way they respond to emergencies.”

Impossible Air Support, the company said, is a turn-key program that lets cities dispatch drones directly to the scene of their 911 calls to improve emergency response times.

Mounted on top of tall city buildings, the drones are controlled by police officers and firefighters from secure command stations within their departments.

Once deployed, they can provide a live video feed of an evolving situation to responders on the ground, intervene in a situation with sirens or lights, or even deliver crucial supplies like life jackets or AEDs.

While the company expects its drone technology to be controversial, founder Spencer Gore defended the idea of equipping cities with drone technology.

He said: “Each minute shaved off 911 response times is estimated to save 10,000 lives per year and the average response time today is almost 10 minutes. The right drone can respond in one minute.”

The company says it is now in ‘Phase One’ of its Air Support deployment, with several police and fire departments across the state of California now flying its US-1 aircraft.

Phase two, it says, will involve a series of hardware and software updates that enable cities to perform more advanced missions using their aircraft.

Gore continued: “The idea of chasing criminals using drones might sound and look a bit like Blade Runner, but it will undeniably save lives. On average, one person is killed every day in vehicle pursuits — often, innocent bystanders.”

Air Support drones will be equipped with sirens, spotlights and loudspeakers, the company said, so that first responders may use them to provide instructions from the air to emergency victims or suspects.

Impossible Aerospace says it takes pride in being an American drone manufacturer, with Gore stating “we design and assemble our aircraft all in one factory in the United States.”