First responders/law enforcement

[Richie1027]

A search didn’t reveal any threads discussing this. I’m wondering if anyone has partnered with their local poloce/fire departments or other first responders to be of assistance proving aerial surveillance?
I’m aware that drone support is becoming more and more prevalent for these departments, but I wanted to see if anyone has provided help in a civilian capacity to their local emergency services, and if so, what suggestions they might offer to interested drone pilots.
thank you

 

[SkyeHigh]

The general consensus appears to be that the emergency services are not interested in support by local drone enthusiasts. Issues of lack of expertise & experience in the challenging environments, teamwork, coordination and safety. Not to mention insurance.

There are a number of very experienced pilots on the forum who are part of official Search & Rescue teams but they are more the exception.

It’s good that people want to assist the services but they are more of a hindrance unless suitably qualified, trained and part of an official organisation.

 

[Felix le Chat]

A search didn’t reveal any threads discussing this. I’m wondering if anyone has partnered with their local poloce/fire departments or other first responders to be of assistance proving aerial surveillance?
I’m aware that drone support is becoming more and more prevalent for these departments, but I wanted to see if anyone has provided help in a civilian capacity to their local emergency services, and if so, what suggestions they might offer to interested drone pilots.
thank you

They're probably more inclined to buy their own kit and get their own people trained for the job.

 

[GregS]

I agree with Felix. The local law enforcments in Illinois have their own people doing this. The reason is they do not want a non law enforcement person involved for legal reasons.

 

[Cafguy]

I tried my best and everytime it was a no thank you. As stated above-They have their own people that have been trained and they won't train anyone from outside Cal-fire or the local authorities. So I finally gave up and decided just to run water to the firefighters in my car.. At least its something lol.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

Around here the Jefferson County sheriff department has their own drone pilot. The sheriff has mentioned that if they ever need additional help, he will be in touch. That was about 3 years ago and I haven't heard from them yet. LOL

 

[Vic Moss]

Unless your local LEOs have a very small department, they already have a team.

 

[BigAl07]

I work with local LEO (local and state) and it's a myriad of legalities to have a "civilians" working with LEO, Even on a non-criminal case they can change to criminal in the blink of an eye. Chain of Custody, Personal Safety, Insurance, Mental Health (you can't unsee some of these things), as well as Resource Management all come into play.

If you'd like me to break the above down I am more than willing to if that helps.

It's important to know that UAS for Public Safety is a far cry from the normal UAS flying we do. It's not about taking "eye pleasing pictures" but acqiring DATA and also knowing what you're looking for. You're NOT looking for a lost person in the middle of a field trying to flag you down... there is a LOT going into "Lost Person Searching".

Also, if you really WANT to TRY and help, the best route is to contact your local Sheriff's Office or county Emergency Services and ask if they have a genuine NEED for UAS operations. Those 2 usually work together for Search & Rescue.

Keep in mind, that in order to not "drain resources" you'll need some training in order to safely and EFFICIENTLY integrate into an existing SAR scene. NIMS training is an absolute MUST and most Dept have a set series that they require to be completed before you can be considered for introduction into the "fold".

It's a monetary drain because you buy everything YOURSELF and you have to be self-sufficient upon a call-out. I have the means to go anywhere, anytime, and be Self Sufficient for the first 24hrs. That's food, water, weather appropriate gear, sleeping, and POWER.

I want to stress, this can take a huge emotional toll on you as a person (and your family) if you're not prepared for what you "could" see on a scene.

 

[SethB]

Endorsing everything @BigAl07 wrote above, it was almost exactly that in interviews I conducted a few years ago with local city police, county sheriff, and regional fire agencies here in the Portland Oregon region.

At the time I was developing curriculum for college courses, they were all very courteous, but all 5 or 6 agencies’ policies was that drone work *must* be done by their trained and sworn employees.

There are also volunteer nonprofit search and rescue teams (SAR). Several in our region do have drone teams. Without exception prospective pilots are required to pass SAR training before starting their drone training. Untrained SAR responders all too frequently become victims needing SAR, impacting resources that should be focused on someone else.

SAR teams are called out by county sheriffs, who can tell you what teams (if any) are active in your region.

 

[jaja6009]

I am the coordinator for our city's public safety sUAS program. We are in New Jersey.
A lot of great info above.

Here is what I have found in general and in specific.

For skillsets, training, certifications, qualifications etc. it is much easier to have the aforementioned and then become a drone pilot than to go from a drone pilot to the aforementioned. It is easier for a cop to become an RPIC than vice versa.

For our state I have found that there are a large number of entities that have a drone program and will respond statewide for mutual aid. There is never a shortage of drones on these mission types showing up from various law enforcement and other public safety organizations.

Things to consider

• Operating in the Incident Command System (ICS) will need proof of at minimum ICS 100, 200 and 700
• Insurance
• A good kit (Thermal Drone, batteries and charger, power bank or generator, laptop, WiFi hotspot etc.)
• SAR experience would help especially using software like SAR/Cal Topo and even DJI Flight Hub 2
• A firm grasp on basic thermography
• Professionalism
• Discretion (No social media!)
• Ability to pass a background check
• Vehicle that can go offroad (dirt roads with light rocks and the ability to climb dirt roads at minimum)
• Night flying kit (Red Flashlight, LZ kit etc.)

I think this will be area and agency specific. In my area it is probably a dead end. Ask your local public safety agencies and see what they say.

Another thing is without you being in an emergency vehicle you will have problems getting to some incidents in a timely manner. We still have time problems responding to mutual aid that is a good distance away even with lights and sirens.

And you will have more luck offering your service as SAR. I don't see any possibility of you "providing aerial surveillance" for law enforcement. Police are already facing issues with drone flights and the perception of the pervasive state and big brother. Adding a civilian into that argument would not help IMHO.

Good Luck!