Calling all drones

Uxbridge Fire Dept. seeks potential volunteer ‘pilots’ for emergencies

UXBRIDGE – Before August of last year, the Uxbridge Fire Department was using high-tech drone technology to rescue kayakers who capsized in the Blackstone River or pinpoint the exact location of brush fires deep in the woods.

Equipped with a GoPro camera, the drone was an extra eye in the sky during search-and-rescue operations and sizing up fires and hazmat incidents, says Fire Chief William Kessler.

The department still has its drone, but it hasn’t

been used for emergency purposes since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instituted new rules last year that require operators to obtain a remote pilot certificate to operate drones commercially. It costs hundreds of dollars to take the general-knowledge test, which is similar to that for a private pilot's license.

For a small fire department where every penny in the budget counts, Fire Chief William Kessler says he can’t afford the cost to ensure his firefighters are licensed to use the technology.

“We have a drone, but since the FAA instituted rules last year, we have not been able to use it for emergency purposes,” he says. “It seems mind-boggling that the FAA will allow a recreational drone user to fly the Blackstone River to admire the view without any special requirement, but the minute the Fire Department flies the Blackstone River with the same drone to locate a person needing assistance, a remote pilot's license is required.”

To work around the hardship, the department is looking for volunteer drone users who have a remote pilot's license and are able to respond in short notice to help the department when firefighters are called out for a search-and-rescue or any other emergency situation requiring an aerial view.

“If there are people out there looking to use their skills, we'd like to speak with them to see if we can make it work,” says Kessler.

Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles, have become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Fortune magazine estimates that from 2015-2025, the drone industry will reach an economic impact of more than $82.1 billion.

Kessler says the technology is a useful too for the public safety sector, which can use drones to assess information from significant incidents and large-scale events that can provide additional situational awareness to the incident commander.

The devices, he says, can be equipped with video cameras to capture video and or provide a live video feed. Drones equipped with cameras (video and infrared) can also provide a real-time overview on the spread of wild fires and the potential harm to firefighters, the public and the surrounding communities.

However, since August of 2016, the FAA requires a license and a case by case review of the proposed use of drones by commercial or business entities and emergency services.

Under the new rule, the person actually flying a small drone would be an “operator.” An operator would have to be at least 17 years old, pass an aeronautical knowledge test and obtain an FAAUAS operator certificate. To maintain certification, the operator would have to pass the FAA knowledge tests every 24 months.

Kessler says Uxbridge Fire Department can’t afford drone licensing program.

“It involves a class with costs ranging from $400 to thousands of dollars per person depending on the program, plus salary or overtime costs; passing a test, and then paying the FAA $150 for the license,” he says.

Instead of incurring costs for a program the department will likely use less than 10 times a year, Kessler is, instead, looking for volunteers who can respond on short notice whenever the fire department needs the assistance of a drone.

Anyone willing to help can call Kessler at (508) 278-2787.

“If there’s anyone out there who can help, we’d like to discuss the possibilities,” he said.