With hurricane season in full effect, unmanned aircraft have been pushed to the forefront as an innovative technology that can be used during relief efforts.
Just a few weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey throttled Texas and Louisiana, leaving billions of dollars’ worth of damage in its wake.
With mass flooding and other factors leaving areas difficult, or in some cases impossible, to navigate, UAS have become invaluable during the recovery efforts in Texas, especially in the Houston area which was hit the hardest.
This has been possible thanks to swift action from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has been actively cooperating with UAS operators to get these systems into the sky quickly and effectively where they are most needed.
First Responders
First Responders
Washington state's Spokane Fire Department to add fourth UAS to its fleet
According to The Drive, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) in Washington state is preparing to welcome a fourth UAS to its fleet of unmanned aerial systems, as a part of the SFD’s UAS program.
Currently, the SFD has three UAS that cost approximately $1,150 each, but the latest UAS will cost more than those three UAS combined, with a price tag of $9,000.
Including the costs of the actual UAS themselves, the SFD has spent approximately $28,000 so far on various UAS-related items such as cameras, batteries, and accessories, according to City spokesman Brian Coddington.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
A startup company called May Mobility that is looking to offer its autonomous driving technology to companies with commercial fleets made its official debut on August 21 at Y Combinator’s demo day. May Mobility wants to focus on customers that have vehicle needs in areas where routes can be easily mapped and conditions are fairly predictable. This includes areas such as closed residential communities, business districts and campuses (school and corporate). (TechCrunch)
AUVSI and National Council on Public Safety UAS Announce Partnership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug 23, 2017
Contact: Tom McMahon, tmcmahon@auvsi.org, (571) 255-7786
Decorah Fire Department in Iowa uses UAS to find six people stranded along the Yellow River
In Eastern Iowa, the Allamakee County Sheriff's office enlisted the help of the Decorah Fire Department and its UAS to help locate six people who were stranded along the Yellow River near Effigy Mounds, after they got lost while tubing.
It took just 10 minutes for the UAS to locate the first three of the six stranded, after they were spotted using a heat seeking camera that was attached to the UAS.
Decorah Firefighter Zack Kerndt, who was at home when he got the call to put his UAS skills to work, says that a foot-search for the missing people would have been very difficult, which made the UAS that much more valuable.
Small UAS used during aircraft crash exercises at Edwards Air Force Base
During two aircraft crash exercises on July 31 and August 3, members of the 812th Civil Engineer Squadron teamed with the Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force (ETCTF) to “increase their emergency response capabilities” using small UAS.
Through the exercise scenario, the Edwards Fire Department at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and the 812th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Flight were able to respond to a simulated crashed B-52 Stratofortress on Rogers Dry Lake.
The exercise allowed responders to approach an actual dismantled B-52 on the lakebed, and the B-52 was also used as an “aerial photo calibration target and later a radar target.”
Canada’s Regina Police Service Traffic Unit receives DJI Phantom 4 UAS
In Regina, Saskatchewan, the Regina Police Service (RPS) Traffic Unit hopes to soon begin using a new DJI Phantom 4 Pro UAS for a variety of tasks, after the RPS received the unmanned system in early August.
Before the RPS Traffic Unit can use the UAS, Transport Canada must first certify the RPS for UAS use. That process has already started.
If and when the UAS is eligible to be used, there will be several use cases for it according to Constable Curtis Warnar.
“Say if we were doing a scene here and you had some skid marks or roadway evidence, you’re only seeing one angle versus when you can get up in the air and see the full picture,” Warnar says via Global News.
Daytona Beach Police Department launching aviation program for UAS
In the coming months, small UAS will be used to assist Daytona Beach police officers and firefighters during a variety of tasks, including evaluating hazardous areas following hurricanes or other disasters, and finding lost nursing-home residents.
This will be possible thanks to a new aviation program, called the DBPD aviation program, that the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) is launching in collaboration with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide and Daytona Beach campuses.
Embry-Riddle is known for launching the nation’s first Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Operations program back in 2011.
Virginia’s Danville Life Saving Crew to use UAS for search and rescue missions
The Danville Life Saving Crew (DLSC) in Danville, Virginia will begin using small UAS to help them during search and rescue missions.
Through Piedmont Virginia Community College, five members of the DLSC spent 40 hours in UAS ground school, where they learned about FAA regulations, flight operations, human factors and radio communications, which prepared them for their FAA Remote Pilot Certificate exam.
Students participated in the field section of the UAS flight training on July 28. The five DLSC members, alongside Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor and five members of the Pittsylvania Sheriff’s Office, demonstrated their flight skills at Dan Daniel Memorial Park.
Duluth Fire Department in Minnesota considering purchasing EMILY USV
The Duluth Fire Department in Duluth, Minnesota is considering purchasing the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving LanYard (EMILY) drone, which is a 24-pound unmanned water rescue drone that was created by Tucson, Arizona-based Hydronalix.
Equipped with a two-way radio that allows first responders to communicate with the person needing assistance, the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) carries a detachable lifejacket and helmet, and can float with six to eight people holding on to it.
Duluth Fire Capt. Brent Consie says that the city has an extensive amount of shoreline, and is one of the worst spots in the Great Lakes for rip currents.