How NYC Agencies Used Drones to Assess an Unstable Building

Uncrewed aircraft played a key role in city agencies’ efforts to determine the extent of the damage.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, July 08, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) shared this image of a Manhattan high-rise, in which a support column (center-right) can be seen with visible damage. [Credit: FDNY]

Key Takeaways:

New York City officials deployed drones to safely assess initial damage to a Manhattan high-rise, demonstrating their critical role in emergency response and preventing human risk.
Both the NYPD and FDNY utilize extensive drone programs for diverse public safety operations, including structural inspections, emergency response, search and rescue, and crime scene documentation.
The significant expansion of drone use, particularly the NYPD's Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, has led to inter-agency collaboration but also raised privacy concerns and calls for greater oversight from advocacy groups.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported Wednesday morning that there have been no structural shifts to a Manhattan high-rise since damage to the building was uncovered Tuesday, leading city officials to fear a possible collapse. As part of the effort to assess the damage, the city’s Fire Department (FDNY) deployed small drones before sending in people.

Mamdani in a news conference on Tuesday said that “as we await the arrival of materials that will stabilize the building, [New York City Department of Buildings] engineers have been investigating with FDNY drones.”