Drone-maker new to Seattle aims to protect people here and in Ukraine

Seattle-based drone could save lives (1:21) | Brinc, a drone company now based in Seattle, is building drones designed to help first responders in emergency situations. The Lemur drone is currently being used in search-and-rescue missions in Ukraine. (Daniel Kim & Ramon Dompor / The Seattle Times)

Blake Resnick was a 17-year-old growing up in Las Vegas when a gunman firing from a Strip hotel window killed 60 people at an outdoor concert.

In that October 2017 tragedy, Resnick, an engineering prodigy, recognized an opportunity. He imagined advanced drones buzzing to dangerous locations, giving first responders a way to assess the situation quickly and safely, and allowing them to communicate directly with someone inside.

Five years later, Resnick is in Seattle, and quadcopters built by his startup, Brinc Drones, are flying in some of the world’s most dangerous spots.

“The deadliest mass shooting in American history happened in my hometown,” Resnick said, “and I saw a place where technology could have saved lives.”

At Brinc’s Seattle headquarters, CEO Blake Resnick holds a Lemur drone, used by first responders to reach dangerous or inaccessible places. (Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times)