Recently (and often), drones [also known as unmanned aerospace vehicles (UAVs)] and the fire service have been in the news together. For instance, the presence of drones in wildfire fighting aircraft airspace has grounded all aircraft fighting the fire until the drone has vacated the area, and one video has surfaced showing a nozzle firefighter trying to knock down a drone with a hose stream.
Like it or not, drones are here to stay, and the fire service must be out in front on the issue, or we will be left behind. Much of this deals with educating the public and working with local, state, and the federal government to understand the current laws and then getting those laws in place to deal with the issues that drones pose.
A local fire department will need permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly a drone. The FAA is not granting licenses to fire departments and most other government agencies at this time. However, a local hobbyist is allowed to fly a drone with limited restrictions. These rules are now in place, and they will continue to impact the fire service’s use of drones.
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