The integration of robotics into emergency services is becoming a defining factor in the modernization of safety infrastructure, enabling a new level of operational readiness: conducting initial reconnaissance in hazardous environments, remotely collecting data via LIDAR and sensors, maintaining communications, and transporting equipment.
Within the framework of the collaboration between DroneUA’s U.S. representative office — Futurology with Charles County Emergency Services at the La Plata, Maryland facility, testing of a quadrupedal robot has commenced. The platform has been integrated into the operations of the specialized HazMat response team and is already being used for initial area reconnaissance, creation of 3D maps via LIDAR, monitoring, and delivery of equipment to high-risk zones. This approach reduces the need for large teams, minimizes risks for technical personnel, and increases operational efficiency in critical conditions.
“The robotic system helps us enhance our HazMat response capabilities. We can send it into a high-risk area instead of the entire team, gather information before all specialists arrive, and reduce the threat to our technicians. If something goes wrong, we lose the robot, not a person,” said Ryan DeGrui, captain of the Special Operations unit at Charles County Emergency Services.
In addition to the HazMat unit’s tasks, the robot is being tested across a wider range of scenarios. It is employed to inspect unstable structures during search-and-rescue operations, to support tactical units in potentially hazardous situations, and in environments where rapid visual and spatial information is required. This approach allows for the development of integrated solutions that can be applied not only within a single county but also become part of a new model for emergency response across the United States.
“This case demonstrates that robotics is moving into the realm of systemic operations. We see quadrupedal platforms taking on critically high-risk functions, providing specialists with both data and time to make informed decisions. This approach establishes an entirely new architecture for emergency response, where technology becomes an equal participant in the process. It serves as an example for evaluating the potential for scaling and integrating robotics into standardized response protocols,” — Valerii Iakovenko, co-founder and managing partner of DroneUA, Futurology.
The trials have already attracted attention from colleagues across other local, state, and federal agencies. Units from various regions of the United States are reaching out to Charles County Emergency Services for insights on the practical use of the robotic platform in tasks such as initial reconnaissance, 3D mapping, remote monitoring, and equipment transport. This interest highlights the relevance of integrating autonomous systems into standardized emergency response protocols and underscores the potential for scaling this technology across the professional community.
Thus, the transition from theoretical scenarios to practical application lays the groundwork for a new evolution in the field of safety: where technologies handle frontline tasks, and specialists focus on decision-making and action coordination. This experience confirms that robotics is gradually becoming a critically important component of modern emergency response infrastructure.
The collaboration of the U.S. office is a natural continuation of the systematic work on integrating advanced technologies into the field of emergency response. The work with Charles County Emergency Services practically demonstrates how robotic solutions adapt to specific operational tasks and become a tool for the daily practice of the services.
