Crises and incidents are threatening conditions that require urgent action. In emergencies, the lack of relevant information can affect and increase the risks of the crisis scenarios. In this context, response time is crucial for responding to the needs of affected individuals and environments. This study presents an analysis of six awareness criteria applied in emergency response and how these criteria could improve the technological and collaborative solution supported by drones, called “Drones to the Rescue”. This research aims to understand how awareness criteria are considered in real emergency response and how incorporating those into the solution would improve it. To evaluate the potential improvement, we carried out a survey with experts from the Firefight Department, Civil Defense, Military Police, and Armed Forces from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais – Brazil. This research concludes that awareness criteria bring new possibilities and provide new alternatives in emergency response situations.