So Your Department Bought a Drone; Now What?

No other area is more important than the training we provide to our teams. Public safety agencies must network and share UAS training and mission information. Developing an initial and ongoing training platform is critical to your success, and the strength of the fire service has always been our willingness to share the content that we develop; this is especially true for training pilots in UAS. By identifying and participating in the online social media groups, you will make contacts who are always willing to share material to help you build a training program. A myriad of online fire department videos demonstrate best practices and tests.

Another critical component is the AAR, which helps you identify what’s working, what’s not, and where you need additional training. This originated in staffed aviation and the military as a way to document where you responded, what you did, and what lessons you learned. We know it in the fire service as a hotwash or incident critique. AAR helps with aircraft internal maintenance and repair record keeping. This is essential to ensure your aircraft is maintained and that small issues don’t become large issues. The FAA also expects this information to be available in an emergency. Sharing this information keeps you and others from paying for the same mistake twice. AARs are a tool we should use on every mission to improve. Use the information in the “UAS Networking Groups” sidebar to network with other agencies for unbiased opinions from agencies worldwide. Most are social media groups and Web sites dedicated to sharing information and innovations; they are made up of fire, police, and commercial operators who are knowledgeable. If you need a slideshow, have a question on hardware, need a standard operating procedure, or want to consult when your equipment is not working, just ask and then watch the power of social media at work.

So, now you have a drone and instead of just flying around with no plan or purpose, you now have some tools to assist you in developing your UAS program to its full capability. By educating yourself and sharing information, you can establish the knowledge base needed to fully integrate UAS into emergency operations. This technology is changing the way we respond and is becoming an essential tool in managing emergency operations. We all have a responsibility to ensure it’s done safely and effectively.