We're drafting the requirements for DSAR chapters

[RCdancer]

We had a request to start a DSAR chapter in the NYC area. Consequently the Board is drafting the requirements for opening a DSAR chapter.

 

[RCdancer]

The Board discussed it and here are the requirements for DSAR local chapters:

DSAR Chapters | Dronesar

www.dronesar.info

 

[BigAl07]

Seems very fair and doable. Good idea.

 

[Aviator]

I need to start one in TN. Will start the application process next week. I am hereby putting down a place holder.
I will be out of town tomorrow to Sunday, so will correspond early next week. I need more details.
I met with the chairperson of the Chamber of commerce this afternoon( for another reason) and brought this up. He was very interested and wrote everything I said and wrote DSAR details on the back of my biz card.

 

[AnzacJack]

your whole operation looks great. It is something i would be interested in setting upin Australia. I already conduct the training, but not as a designated SAR operation. I know in Australia, this would need to be fully supported and endorsed by CASA to get off the ground (so to speak). Im just wondering if you guys have much in the way of linking with your regulator in conjunction with your operation, or are you just running it as another RPAS company running a training program. As an organisation, are you guys permitted access to SAR operations by default or do you need to jump through hoops each time.
The training and setting up a register would be easy for us, but i think getting the access to SAR operations would be haphazard. I think it would be the target to be recognised and accepted as part of SAR operations in a similar way to our SES (state emergency service).
When i was in defence i was part of a cliff rescue team for a bit as part of defence DISPLAN units.
Most of the excercises would usualy become a debarkle in reguards to communication and planning. SES, Defence and local law enforcemnet just never seemed to work well as one unit.
The other issue is we are still dealing with people involved in these operations that seem to think drones are either operated by amatures or cowboys.
I live on the upper Brisbane river and fly my local parts of the river constantly. I would consider myself an expert on local area. About 18 months ago, a group of teenagers where playing around by the river. One fella jumps in and is not seen again. There is no doubt that he will have drowned but the body needs to be recovered. Police cordon the area and start the seach. They have SES boats in the water and police helicopter. There are big trees all along the river bankup here. As its basically my backyard i go down to offer services. I am stopped by a uniformed policeman as im heading down to there op centre. i attempt o tell him that i can go low, up and down the river and get a good top down view. He wont let me in to talk to someone in charge and just says that POLAIR (police chopper) has already done a fly over.
End of story, it takes them 2 days to find the body, and where they found it, i know i would have found it on first pass within 10- 15 minutes
So that is our biggest issue. Becoming accepted and then utylised. A year ago a also offerd training for local SES, but they were not interested. Its a real waste of available resources.
I think if we had very public, CASA endorsement, this hurdle would be easier tojump.

sorry for longpost, (im passionate about this) didnt plan to ramble and just ask how you guys are getting along with SAR operation acceptance

 

[RCdancer]

I need to start one in TN. Will start the application process next week. I am hereby putting down a place holder.
I will be out of town tomorrow to Sunday, so will correspond early next week. I need more details.
I met with the chairperson of the Chamber of commerce this afternoon( for another reason) and brought this up. He was very interested and wrote everything I said and wrote DSAR details on the back of my biz card.

We would love to work with you.

 

[RCdancer]

your whole operation looks great. It is something i would be interested in setting upin Australia. I already conduct the training, but not as a designated SAR operation. I know in Australia, this would need to be fully supported and endorsed by CASA to get off the ground (so to speak). Im just wondering if you guys have much in the way of linking with your regulator in conjunction with your operation, or are you just running it as another RPAS company running a training program. As an organisation, are you guys permitted access to SAR operations by default or do you need to jump through hoops each time.
The training and setting up a register would be easy for us, but i think getting the access to SAR operations would be haphazard. I think it would be the target to be recognised and accepted as part of SAR operations in a similar way to our SES (state emergency service).
When i was in defence i was part of a cliff rescue team for a bit as part of defence DISPLAN units.
Most of the excercises would usualy become a debarkle in reguards to communication and planning. SES, Defence and local law enforcemnet just never seemed to work well as one unit.
The other issue is we are still dealing with people involved in these operations that seem to think drones are either operated by amatures or cowboys.
I live on the upper Brisbane river and fly my local parts of the river constantly. I would consider myself an expert on local area. About 18 months ago, a group of teenagers where playing around by the river. One fella jumps in and is not seen again. There is no doubt that he will have drowned but the body needs to be recovered. Police cordon the area and start the seach. They have SES boats in the water and police helicopter. There are big trees all along the river bankup here. As its basically my backyard i go down to offer services. I am stopped by a uniformed policeman as im heading down to there op centre. i attempt o tell him that i can go low, up and down the river and get a good top down view. He wont let me in to talk to someone in charge and just says that POLAIR (police chopper) has already done a fly over.
End of story, it takes them 2 days to find the body, and where they found it, i know i would have found it on first pass within 10- 15 minutes
So that is our biggest issue. Becoming accepted and then utylised. A year ago a also offerd training for local SES, but they were not interested. Its a real waste of available resources.
I think if we had very public, CASA endorsement, this hurdle would be easier tojump.

sorry for longpost, (im passionate about this) didnt plan to ramble and just ask how you guys are getting along with SAR operation acceptance

Great question. While we still have a ways to go, we're making inroads and gaining acceptance. For example, the local chapter of the American Red Cross has asked to meet with us next month to talk about using us in disaster scenarios to enhance their damage assessment. At that talk, I intend to propose our services nationwide for them. Local Law Enforcement is increasingly acceptive of us to the point that they are now using us to help train their drone pilots and expressed an intent to use us in their future Search/Rescue operations.

It's ultimately all about gaining the confidence of authorities who see we are professional and committed to the highest possible level of safety and service. To that end, we seek to standardize our operations throughout the chapters - which is why we ask new chapter leadership to first attend training where Board members are present to ensure they fully understand how we operate ... and also to permit us to gauge them.

To get to the top of a mountain, you must take one step at a time. And that's what we're doing. We have a solid Board in place and a great pilot population behind us. We still have a long ways to go. But we're getting up that mountain.

We have growing pains. But perhaps it's in our cards one day to branch out internationally. It would certainly go far to improve the image of drones. And maybe even be incentive for some cowboy pilots to come in out of the cold.


Let us know if there's anything we can do to help you in Australia.

Bob
www.dronesar.info

 

[RCdancer]

FYI that we have long range plans to conduct DSAR training in Colorado Springs sometime in 2020. Since that's the central part of the country, it would be ideal for anyone in the western U.S. seeking to establish a DSAR chapter.

 

[AnzacJack]

Yep,
My current battle is almost complete and won. Getting the academic and commercial sector to recognise quality training. Some establishments where offering a 1 week course to gain the cert 3 + CASA quals. For the basic CASA requirements that is more than enough, but the have the cert qualification accepted as a decent qualification that has been delivered and examined with appropriate rigor, we are delivering this over 18 months as a full time senior school subject, and with the upcoming university level diploma, we are getting some good traction and academic qualifications that are taken seriously. Many companies, including Boeing Defence Australia, Emergency Services, State Energy Services and Westpac rescue are now requiring a minimum of the cert 3 - aviation - RPAS, to gain employment in RPAS sector.
It is a great outcome for the RPAS sector here and allowing for real jobs with real qualifications. Anyone can gain their ReOC and RePl and work for themselves (mainly photography) but if you want to work with the big players, full qualifications are helping with that, as well as giving the industry some credibility.
4 year project almost complete with this, with my school being the trial and first to deliver the course that is fully government funded. It’s now rolling out further afield, and as long as the regulators don’t stifle us, the way ahead looks great.

Next year, formal SAR will be next big project.

 

[RCdancer]

We have an individual coming almost a thousand miles from central TX this weekend for the training at Acworth GA. We are going to talk with him about possibly starting the very first DSAR chapter in TX upon his return. We've already been contacted by a 107 pilot in the DFW area who want to help but needs training. I am sure there are others.

DSAR Chapters | Dronesar

www.dronesar.info