Email I received a minute ago..

[Bob in Savannah]

Just received this. I'm in Savannah, GA.

 

[shutter13]

I got the same email, twice. I’m in Florida.

 

[AMann]

Regional TFR system includes email alerts? Pretty nice. Hopefully everyone stays safe over there and don’t need search and rescue services. It’s kind of late to do it there, but volunteering as a authorized pilot to provide help with SAR efforts and monitoring during these types of emergencies would be a great public service. We had a SAR effort conducted by drones in my area of the Mojave desert to search for a lost couple who got caught out in summer heat and couldnt make it back to their car. It was too hot and unsafe for searchers and dogs, so they resorted to using camera flights to try to find them. Unfortunately, the couple didn’t make it back and had to be recovered later that day.

 

[neggy]

Remember under the newly signed FAA Re-Authorization act that wiped out Part 336, the GOV has expanded powers to nail you to the cross if you screw with a rescue aircraft

 

[Mavic-Markie93]

It’s kind of late to do it there, but volunteering as a authorized pilot to provide help with SAR efforts and monitoring during these types of emergencies would be a great public service.

Has there been any documented effort to start up these kinds of "citizen SAR" squads composed of private drone owners?

I would gladly register for this type of emergency action, and it would show the power of consumer drones as something more than just an aerial photography rig. A single Mavic 2 Pro could survey the same area in 20 minutes that would take 200+ people on foot. Now just imagine 10 or 15 Mavic owners showing up to an urgent SAR effort and it becomes clear how useful it would be. No police force in the country can afford to have 10 or 15 cops each equipped with his/her own Mavic, so why not call on the citizens and their collective resources for these types of situations?

 

[AMann]

There is such an organization for private pilots sanctioned by Congress - the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and there is a budding program within the organization for using UAS for SAR operations- but it’s only just as a STEM educational level rigjt now. Here’s more about CAP itself:

Who We Are | Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters

And more about their UAS inf (very limited still, lots of opportunities though since it would fit well with their mission):

Search | Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters

UAS fliers should petition CAP to include them too.

 

[dronerdave]

Depending on the situation, my guess is any drone operator would have to hold some kind of aircraft proficiency certification to cooperate unless the government was overwhelmed. I'd just want to make sure I'm covered legally. I'm not sure how much authority a small time police or fire chief has to allow you to fly under emergency situations.

Hey maybe if the FAA says we all have to get a license to fly as a hobbyist, that might qualify

 

[AMann]

In the US, CAP has authority under congress and the USAF to conduct emergency flights, SAR’s, etc. I imagine they will be the lead organization to do training and coordination for UAS emergency response related volunteers under guidance by FAA.

 

[quantumvortex]

Thats what I posted about yesterday

 

[Mavic-Markie93]

Depending on the situation, my guess is any drone operator would have to hold some kind of aircraft proficiency certification to cooperate unless the government was overwhelmed. I'd just want to make sure I'm covered legally. I'm not sure how much authority a small time police or fire chief has to allow you to fly under emergency situations.

That's a reasonable requirement --- if I was some police chief in a small town I wouldn't want 10 guys showing up who just bought their Mavics last week to be responsible for doing emergency SAR flying. Plus, it would help us understand how the police and SAR agencies operate in a crisis and give us drone operators a better idea how to do our specialized function when the urgent need arises.

I try to look at from a common sense perspective --- if I was the parent of a missing child I would want every available "eye in the sky" to help look for him/her. Can't rely on just Amber alerts and police cruisers to be the only way to solve an abduction or missing persons case.