Drone security use on a High School

[philsmith76]

Fort Pierce Central High School students use drone technology to keep fellow students safe

This is interesting. I’d like to know the legal ins and outs on how this is being done per regs. Does that pilot have a 107? A drone flying around a couple thousand students seems risky. The insurance liability has to be very high.

 

[Twenty Eight November]

They didn't give you enough information in the story. It said they were under the supervision of the police officer, so maybe he had his 107. It also said that they met in the courtyard after first bell so students would be inside the building. Personally I think it is a great idea. On a campus where you have multiple resource officers I don't see a problem with 1 flying a bird over the area to check for suspicious people or packages.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Fort Pierce Central High School students use drone technology to keep fellow students safe

This is interesting. I’d like to know the legal ins and outs on how this is being done per regs. Does that pilot have a 107? A drone flying around a couple thousand students seems risky. The insurance liability has to be very high.

It is definitely forward thinking. I was approached with the same concept some time back, however once they understood the legal and practical limitations, they backed off. I surely can see a tethered drone being effective in such scenario. The cost may be too much for a school, though.

 

[BigAl07]

We've actually done some "OverWatch" for school functions and events. Coordination, timing, and reliable comms is the key to it being a success and a viable tool for security.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

We've actually done some "OverWatch" for school functions and events. Coordination, timing, and reliable comms is the key to it being a success and a viable tool for security.

Al, any tethered operations?

 

[BigAl07]

Al, any tethered operations?

No sir. It was all "free" and flying manually (not using Litchi etc). We basically establish our flight area (the IC tells us the scope of our work early on) and we fly within those parameters. Most of the time it's staying over a building and pointing the camera down into the crowd or parking lot. We are looking for vandals, fights, traffic issues, and just anything that might affect the crowd/event.

We've looked into tethering but they are so proud of those units it's just way outside any realistic budget for us.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Thanks Al. I was approached earlier this year by a school superintendent about a pilot security program at a "trouble school." Once he understood the limitations (flying over people, battery limits) he lost interest. To be honest, I was not all that interested to begin with. I have some curiosity about tethered operations, there is a PD close by with a tethered system for their M210. I think I will swing by when they train and take a peek.

 

[BigAl07]

Thanks Al. I was approached earlier this year by a school superintendent about a pilot security program at a "trouble school." Once he understood the limitations (flying over people, battery limits) he lost interest. To be honest, I was not all that interested to begin with. I have some curiosity about tethered operations, there is a PD close by with a tethered system for their M210. I think I will swing by when they train and take a peek.

We do it through our County as part of our Incident Management Team. It's a daunting task to keep the bird in the air for a couple of hours but thus far we've managed without a Tether solution even though that would be IDEAL!!

 

[Floater]

Interesting that they boast that if a suspect moves off-campus that they could track for up to 5 miles. Do they have a waver for BVLOS operations? One would think a Sheriff involved in such a program would know the rules.

 

[BigAl07]

Interesting that they boast that if a suspect moves off-campus that they could track for up to 5 miles. Do they have a waver for BVLOS operations? One would think a Sheriff involved in such a program would know the rules.

That's very much NOT the case very often. I instruct LEO across the southeastern US and until they are taught these laws they have no idea. Remember FAA laws and regs are not part of local jurisdiction so they aren't taught these in BLET unless they are part of an aviation program. None of us know any of this until we are taught for the first time.