Israel’s 15-second drone revolution: eyes in the sky for emergencies and deterrence
What if emergency responders could see an incident from above just seconds after it happened? An Israeli drone initiative is putting that idea into practice
Walk through the Caesarea business zone and you might notice a drone following your every move.
It is part of ROM360, a system designed to give municipalities, security teams and strategic sites their own fleet of autonomous drones — effectively creating an extra set of eyes in the sky.
The technology is being deployed at locations across Israel, including municipalities and strategic sites, with the aim of changing how authorities respond to emergencies.
The 15-second game changer
Ghil Harly, VP of Sales at Cando and the ROM360 initiative, describes the concept as a “15-second game changing revolution.”
If a terrorist attack, earthquake, missile strike or other emergency occurs, the idea is to get a drone into the air almost immediately and transmit a live picture to a command-and-control center and decision-makers on the ground.
Instead of different emergency services operating with fragmented information, police, firefighters and local authorities can see the same live footage and build a shared picture of what is happening.
Operators can control the drone's camera remotely, moving it left and right, zooming in and out, and sending the live feed directly to the people who need it.
The goal is simple: see more, understand faster and respond sooner.
And that speed can be critical when emergency services are dealing with a rapidly developing situation.
Not just for emergencies
But the drones are not only designed to take off when disaster strikes.
They can also conduct routine patrols, using day-and-night vision and specialized sensors to monitor areas for suspicious activity.
That makes the technology a potential deterrent, as well as a response tool.
In Caesarea, for example, following a wave of arson attacks, a reconnaissance drone was used to spot a suspected arsonist attempting to start a fire. The drone tracked the suspect as he fled, while its live location could be shared with police on the ground.
The drones can also communicate with people below. Operators can use speakers to call out suspicious individuals, while lights can be used to signal that they are being watched.
The message is straightforward: if you know you're being watched, you may think twice before acting.
The future is in the sky
For Harly, however, this is just one step toward a much bigger transformation.
He envisions skies filled with fleets of unmanned aircraft, forming an ecosystem that goes far beyond security and surveillance — eventually supporting logistics, deliveries and even air taxis.
For now, ROM360 is focused on putting eyes above the streets and giving authorities a faster, clearer picture when something goes wrong.
But the broader vision is clear: the skies are becoming another layer of infrastructure — and drones could soon be doing far more than simply watching from above.