GIS Business Taking Flight!

After 30 hours of preparation and a 2 hour exam, GIS Team Manager Kadeem Pratt is now a certified Drone Pilot! Kadeem’s certification is not only a personal achievement, but it is an achievement for our entire GIS Business. Drones make data collecting much more efficient; therefore, our GIS business is now able to offer a wider scope of more efficient services.

Another benefit of using drones over other services, such as Google Maps, is a drone collects real-time, up-to-date photos and videos, while Google Maps often displays data that can be several years old. Currently the GIS Department is using its drone to work with community development partners, displaying high quality video of current open space in Camden and what the housing conditions are like here. On using drones to improve the Camden community, Kadeem says, “We’re very optimistic about our ability to use smart technology to collect smart data, to help our clients and our community make smart decisions.”   

The GIS interns are excited about the business expansion, and the possibility of becoming drone pilots themselves. Adding drone certifications to the tools in our interns’ toolboxes will expand their technological knowledge and help them stand out even more in the tech world. Kadeem’s confidence and pride in his team is clear, and he is excited to expand their skills: “We have a diverse and talented group of interns that will serve as a great crew for our drone flight missions, which will allow us to produce quality product.“ We all have very high hopes for our drone program; as our GIS Director Luis Olivieri would say, “The sky’s the limit!”