Five Valuable Lessons about Drone Use in Public Safety

We just released a new research report titled “Five Valuable Business Lessons Learned About Drones in Public Safety and First Responder Operations.” This is the fifth and final in a series of white papers intended to share lessons learned in specific industries and how to maximize the value drones can deliver in those industries. This year, we built on the analysis we did for the 2016 “Truth About” papers by incorporating real-world experience gained from businesses and drone pilots operating under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (aka FAA Part 107).

In this new report, we validate how first responders are sending unmanned aerial vehicles into high-risk or remote emergency situations before putting first responders at risk while helping victims more efficiently. We detail best practices for how police, fire, emergency response, and search & rescue agencies can implement drones into their operations. Learn both the strategies and roadblocks to the successful use of drones in this industry, including:

  • Which licenses are required for employees flying drones
  • How to pick the right drone for your specific operation
  • The importance of a roadmap for training and drone maintenance
  • How to deal with the public in a safe and transparent manner
  • When to outsource drone work

Here is an excerpt from the white paper:

Lesson 3 – Training is multifaceted and should not be an afterthought:

“Buying a drone and training go hand-in-hand.  DJI Director of Education Romeo Durscher recommends thorough training on several topics. This includes basic training—as in Part 107 pilot training and “stick time” on the controls of your aircraft of choice—and advanced training for tactical use, e.g., learning the best way to manage the drone before, during, and after deployment.

Gene Robinson (and the Drone Pilot training team) include these and add additional layers of training gleaned from his years of experience as head of Unmanned Aircraft Operations for the Wimberley Fire Department. Some of those experiences and lessons learned are outlined in a white paper on the 2015 Texas Memorial Day flood.  That paper reports that drones—and at one point 16 manned aircraft—were used for disaster relief for multiple days, but not without problems. Problems included multiple rogue manned and unmanned aircraft being operated within the temporary flight restriction, the loss of communication abilities via cell, the line-of-sight problems with handheld aviation radios, and the inability to request FAA approval to operate in the area.”

The report goes on to describe what many police, fire, and emergency responders have learned about what works and what doesn’t. It details mistakes early adopters have made operating their drones and recommends the actions you should take so your implementation and ongoing use is successful.

You can watch a short video here and get the free report here.

If you have questions about what’s in the report or would like to comment on it after reading it, write me at colin@droneanalyst.com.

Image credit: EENA

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Colin Snow

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