Search & Rescue Drone Support
Thermal-equipped aerial search support for first responders, search teams, and families in crisis.
When someone is missing, time is the enemy. AIRBURST partners with first responders and volunteer search teams across Middle Georgia, deploying thermal-equipped drones that can cover hundreds of acres in a single flight.
Available on short notice, day or night. We never charge families directly, costs are coordinated with the lead agency.
Search and rescue drone support is one part of a coordinated search effort. The lead agency determines priorities, ground-team assignments, and how observations should be reported. A drone can provide an overhead view of selected areas, but trees, terrain, buildings, weather, and thermal conditions can limit what is visible. A lack of visible activity in an image does not establish that an area is clear.
If a person is missing or there is an immediate threat to life, contact emergency services first. Do not delay an emergency report while completing a website form. For agency coordination, share the incident contact, search location, last-known information, and any airspace or access restrictions through the appropriate channels. Sensitive information should be handled with the responding authority rather than placed in a public message.
How we support search teams
When an agency requests drone support, our pilot coordinates with the incident commander on scene and flies the search areas they assign. Thermal cameras detect body heat in fields, tree lines, and along water, day or night, while visual cameras confirm what the thermal image shows. A live video feed lets the command post watch the search in real time and send ground teams straight to anything that looks promising.
Lost pets, livestock, and storm response
Beyond missing person searches, we help farmers and families find cattle, horses, and dogs that have wandered into woods or pasture, and we fly storm surveys that show flooded roads and downed trees. In any emergency involving a person in danger, call 911 first. We support the lead agency and work under their direction, and families are never billed directly for search support.
Training and readiness
We keep thermal drones charged and ready, and we train with fire departments, sheriff offices, and volunteer teams across Houston, Peach, and Bibb counties so everyone understands how drone support fits into a search. Training covers radio procedures, grid search patterns, night operations, and safe landing zones near command posts. Agencies that want to add drone support to their plans can contact us to schedule a joint exercise or a short briefing for their staff.