FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 19, 2017
Contact: Tom McMahon, tmcmahon@auvsi.org, (571) 255-7786
First Responders
First Responders
GA-ASI's MQ-9 UAS being used to help with firefighting efforts in Northern California
In support of the firefighting efforts in Northern California by CAL FIRE, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s (GA-ASI) MQ-9 UAS is being used by the California Air National Guard’s 163d Attack Wing operating out of March Air Reserve Base.
The UAS has full-motion video (optical and infra-red), as well as ground imaging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capability, which provides clear sight through both clouds and smoke.
“The 163d Attack Wing supports citizens during the fires by operating two missions under approval from the Secretary of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration,” says Brigadier General Dana A. Hessheimer.
Rajant and AlarmTransfer show UAS can reduce the time it takes for authorities to respond to a verified home alarm
If alarm companies use UAS to supplement their current infrastructure, the amount of time it takes for authorities to respond to a verified home alarm can be significantly lowered, according to a Malvern, Pennsylvania company called Rajant, which provides private wireless networks, and Norman, Oklahoma’s AlarmTransfer.
The national average time it takes for authorities to respond to a verified home alarm is seven minutes. Through their tests using UAS, Rajant and AlarmTransfer showed a home alarm company can get aerial surveillance on the scene as quickly as 30 seconds.
Canada's Morinville Fire Department launches UAS program
Thanks to a new partnership and collaboration with Transport Canada certified Canadian UAV company A3UAV, the Morinville Fire Department in Morinville, Alberta, Canada will begin using the Aeryon SkyRanger UAS to assist in several of its operations.
The UAS, which will be ready for deployment 24 hours a day, will be used as an additional resource for the fire department, thanks to fire department pilots and A3UAV spending the last few months taking courses, training, and conducting hours of flight time.
According to Fire Chief Brad Boddez, the idea behind using UAS in firefighting operations originated a little over two years ago after the department responded to a large condo fire.
Washington State Patrol using UAS to fly over crash scenes
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is crediting its UAS with helping to ease backups that are caused by crashes on the road.
Since the start of WSP’s pilot program back in July, UAS have been used to fly over 20 crash scenes.
According to Washington State Patrol Detective Eric Gunderson, one of the UAS named ‘Ice Man’ recently flew over a rollover crash that was blocking two lanes of traffic on Interstate-5 in Tacoma, Washington.
Gunderson says that using the UAS, he was able to capture more than 200 digital photos, which allowed him to document the scene in just over 20 minutes. It would have taken three to four hours to document the scene without the UAS, according to Gunderson.
Insitu and Esri collaborate to test UAS for fighting wildfires
Insitu, along with Esri, which is a company that builds mapping and spatial analytics software, has successfully completed test flights using state-of-the-art software to support the firefighting efforts of firefighters and first responders.
The flights, which were held at the Warm Springs, Oregon FAA UAS Test Range, were aimed at helping firefighters suppress the Eagle Creek fire in Oregon, using Insitu’s INEXA Solutions professional aerial remote sensing teams, and the company's ScanEagle UAS.
Virginia's Stafford County Sheriff's Office uses UAS to find missing high school student
In Virginia, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is crediting its UAS for helping to locate a missing high school student.
The student, an 18-year-old young man, was reported missing on Monday, September 18, around 5:00 p.m., after not returning home after school.
The student had no history of running away, and the Sheriff’s Office believed that he might be endangered.
Indiana’s Bargersville Fire Department uses UAS to find missing woman
A UAS is being credited with helping to rescue a missing woman in Bargersville, Indiana.
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office says that a woman was reported missing shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday, September 14.
After police and other search members narrowed the search down, a Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputy who was present during the search recommended dispatch to call the UAS in to assist with the search.
Bargersville Community Fire division chief Eric Funkhouser arrived with the UAS two hours into the search, and within just 15 minutes of being in the air, the UAS found the woman alive.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Elbit Systems’ multi mission USV, named Seagull, performed a live demonstration of a remotely operated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission. Via Satellite Communication (SATCOM), the Seagull USV performed the operational ASW mission using control consoles located approximately 3,515 kilometers away in Elbit Systems' booth at the DSEI Exhibition in London. The Seagull USV was sailing in the Haifa Bay, Israel during the demonstration. (Elbit Systems)
University of Arkansas UAS experts provide seminar on technology to state’s public agencies
On August 31, experts in UAS at the University of Arkansas provided a four-hour seminar to public agencies in the state that are considering starting UAS programs.
Members of law enforcement, first responders, inspectors, the highway department and various state engineers attended the seminar.
During the seminar, some of the topics discussed included complying with FAA laws, selection of UAS, and sensors for different types of operations.
Topics presented during the seminar included management of risk and safety management systems, as well as how to develop effective policy and guidance.
Jerry Chism, director of the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics, says that UAS are very beneficial to the state of Arkansas.