CRANSTON – The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has awarded a three-year contract to San Diego-based SkySafe Inc. to provide drone monitoring of airspace across the state's airports, prisons and other high-risk sites.
The contract is being fully funded through a federal grant, according to RIEMA spokesperson Cortney Marciano, who said the company will be providing and maintaining cloud-based data sensors that the agency can access via cloud-based application.
The amount of the contract, secured through a Master Price Agreement, was not disclosed.
Founded in 2015, the company provides drone tracking software which alerts clients about suspicious or so-called “rogue” drones in real time, while storing and mapping that activity against historical data, "revealing crucial patterns and trends," according to a company press release.
In its online documents, SkySafe called 2024 a ”hotbed of drone activity like never before," with the number of register drones eclipsing 1 million and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration fielding more than 100 drone-related reports each month.
"From our rapid deployment to enabling complete visibility into Newport's airspace at some of the state's largest events, we're proud to continue supporting Rhode Island to help keep its residents and attendees safe," said Melissa Swisher, SkySafe chief revenue officer, calling the agreement with RIEMA "a testament to the proven impact of our technology and the strength of our collaboration."
The company has contracted with several other state and federal agencies as well as private organizations, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Farmers Insurance Open, a PGA tour event at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.
During a "performance period" beginning in 2024, SkySafe logged more than 30,000 drone flights within a 5-kilometer radius in the Rhode Island, according to RIEMA, which the company says “demonstrated the critical need for enhanced airspace monitoring and enabled RIEMA to secure additional funding for drone defense, expand SkySafe coverage statewide, and drive inter-agency discussions around comprehensive drone security measures.”
John Washburn, RIEMA associate director of operations, said the state’s previous drone surveillance protocol was a rudimentary “all boots on the ground – someone spotting a drone and hoping to track it down.”
“Now we can see where it launched, how high it went, how long it flew, and where it flew from. It's completely changed how we approach airspace security," he said.
During a May 8 online seminar with SkySafe executives, Washburn said the agency had already been seeing an uptick in commercial drone activity throughout the state. During last year's Jazz Festival at Fort Adams State Park, the company's surveillance software immediately identified an individual who flew a private drone from a stand-up paddle board in Newport Harbor down to within 6 feet of the performance stage.
During the webinar Washburn shared a close-up photo of the individual that was clear enough to see the serial number on the drone's handheld controller.
“After that we started looking at this a lot more seriously,” he said.
Washburn said the individual was given a warning and the agency, now in its early stages of implementing cloud-based drone monitoring protocols, is prioritizing public education over prosecution, particularly for hobbyists’ operators only seeking sky-high video footage.
Christopher Allen is a staff writer for PBN. He can be contacted at Allen@PBN.com.
