Bergheim deploys drone for municipal work

The municipality of Bergheim in Flachgau is using a drone for daily public services, flood protection, firefighting and agricultural fawn rescue, ORF reported. Initial operations are already under way, while further uses are being assessed.

The drone is kept ready for immediate deployment in a box permanently installed on the roof of the municipal works depot. It has standard cameras, a thermal imaging camera and a laser scanner. Trained municipal employees can operate it remotely from the municipal office, about 950 metres away as the crow flies.

Fire brigade commander Christoph Zitz, who is also responsible for the municipality’s IT, said the drone could be used across all areas covered by the municipality, including the fire service, building department, flood protection and disaster management.

One initial application is flood protection. The municipality is using aerial inspections of streams to make regular mandatory checks on foot and by vehicle easier. Work is under way on fully automated flights over waterways. The drone will also inspect bridges for debris blockages and check whether water can drain properly during flooding.

Because the drone can fly without the pilot maintaining direct visual contact, special official approval, training and a safety plan are required. Martin Held, a drone entrepreneur based in Bergheim, is responsible for these arrangements. His services include training pilots and supporting customers to ensure safe operations that comply with regulations.

Held, a former Jagdkommando soldier, trained airline pilot and firefighter, is currently providing the drone to the municipality free of charge so its potential uses can be tested. If the municipality bought and operated the system itself, the total cost, including the official concept, service and maintenance, would be in the low four-figure range per month.

Held said the model could become financially viable if several municipalities shared the costs. The municipality could also develop its own business model or charge those using the infrastructure, he said.

The drone is intended primarily to make municipal employees’ work easier. Current flight permissions cover Bergheim’s town centre, with an expansion to neighbouring municipalities planned. The municipality said its possible applications had by no means been exhausted.