Norwich FD wants to use drone it bought 3 years ago
NORWICH – The Norwich Fire Department purchased a drone for emergency response assistance almost three years ago, but due to liability and licensing issues, they’ve been unable to use it.
“When we originally purchased the drone for $1,000 we were on the forefront of using this kind of technology, but we quickly realized that there were a lot of insurance and liability issues,” said Chenango County Emergency Management Officer A Wesley Jones.
To help determine if the drone can still be used, Jones, Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Burlinson, and Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Ford traveled to the New York State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany to attend a drone based informational seminar.
According to Jones, the seminar held at the preparedness training center was free, and it provided attendees with updated information on drone usage by government and municipalities.
While the department hasn’t officially taken a stance on if they’re going to move forward with using the drone, Jones said that the drone's potential applications could make a significant difference in the field.
"The fire department could use the drone in numerous situations, like to survey ice build-ups, to analyze rooftops of buildings on fire, to assist in search and rescue missions, and to find downed power lines in forests," he said.
Jones said that in many of those circumstances, firefighters would personally survey or engage the situation, but utilizing drones could reduce mission success time and keep firefighters out of harm's way.
The fire department came up with some ways to limit the liability issue by setting strict guidelines for drone usage, and they've contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to find out more information on the licensing process.
"At this point we're trying to determine if using the drone is still a viable option, and we're actively engaged in discussions with the common council and the mayor. We plan to make an official decision on the drone after we've done more research," Jones said.
“When we originally purchased the drone for $1,000 we were on the forefront of using this kind of technology, but we quickly realized that there were a lot of insurance and liability issues,” said Chenango County Emergency Management Officer A Wesley Jones.
To help determine if the drone can still be used, Jones, Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Burlinson, and Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Ford traveled to the New York State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany to attend a drone based informational seminar.
According to Jones, the seminar held at the preparedness training center was free, and it provided attendees with updated information on drone usage by government and municipalities.
While the department hasn’t officially taken a stance on if they’re going to move forward with using the drone, Jones said that the drone's potential applications could make a significant difference in the field.
"The fire department could use the drone in numerous situations, like to survey ice build-ups, to analyze rooftops of buildings on fire, to assist in search and rescue missions, and to find downed power lines in forests," he said.
Jones said that in many of those circumstances, firefighters would personally survey or engage the situation, but utilizing drones could reduce mission success time and keep firefighters out of harm's way.
The fire department came up with some ways to limit the liability issue by setting strict guidelines for drone usage, and they've contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to find out more information on the licensing process.
"At this point we're trying to determine if using the drone is still a viable option, and we're actively engaged in discussions with the common council and the mayor. We plan to make an official decision on the drone after we've done more research," Jones said.
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