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RGB opportunity for Disaster Response

Outta Control

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As an instructor for Drone University USA we closely work with SRP (Strategic Response Partners) in So Cal.

From that relationship we are seeing a large opportunity for our student bodies to go into. Conceptually, the use of drones with RGB camera can record aerial data images as a base line, pre-disaster for any structure. If a disaster does strike the same mission can be launched to record the delta of the two recorded images. This is valuable to the insurance company.

Thanks
 
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Great information.

I've been involved in a good bit of "Disaster Planning" here locally over the last couple of years. We've worked with Fire Dept to help get aerials of one whole city and plans to do another here this spring.
 
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This is interesting. Would you just approach your local Fire Dept. or mayor's office and say "hey, how's your disaster prep?"

Well, with a more professional tone than that, anyway.

This isn't really an area of "self dispatch" if you will. We are already embedded in the agency and have been for a few years now. I can tell you first hand that Public Safety is not a business model to start/build your UAS company on. It's really an add-on for other businesses because there isn't any money in this venture.

Don't take this wrong but Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is sort of a "fickle" group. You've got to learn the lingo and "integrate" with the system. I could go into this for hours but the above should give you an idea.
 
Good points Outta. I have been very active with civilian emergency response support in the Sierra Nevada area for quite some time and also find that not only does insurance companies find such data useful; so does the National Weather and Forestry service. Changes in water stream or river flows, downed trees, or excess erosion are just a few of the considerations that NWS weather, volunteer and agency spotters provide for being "eyes and ears" to these agencies. Drone emerging technologies facilitate enhancement to these activities while minimizing costs and risks.
 
This isn't really an area of "self dispatch" if you will. We are already embedded in the agency and have been for a few years now. I can tell you first hand that Public Safety is not a business model to start/build your UAS company on. It's really an add-on for other businesses because there isn't any money in this venture.

Don't take this wrong but Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is sort of a "fickle" group. You've got to learn the lingo and "integrate" with the system. I could go into this for hours but the above should give you an idea.
What you are saying is exactly what the organization I just joined said as well. When they started the organization about 6 years ago they showed up to help at a disaster and what they got from the law enforcement agencies and federal agencies was literally "who are you and what do you want??" and they had to prove that what they had to offer was valuable to the organizations running the operations there. They were sent away. So what they had to do was, like you said, integrate, learn the lingo, bring a resume of what they had to offer, etc... Once they were seen as a valuable organization their presence is almost expected.
 
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My thoughts, Some leaders in a disaster response team have a chip on their shoulder, so now you come along and show a better way assisting in a disaster, now he's not the focus of attention anymore. :rolleyes:

With all due respect it's not about attention or a chip. When you're working with the Govt you have to make sure you have every I "dotted" and T "crossed". When you factor in liability and such it makes it even worse.

Keep in mind we have to worry about manned aircraft coordination, sUAS coordination, Boots-on-the-ground and so many other resources they just can't afford for any Tom-****-Harry to show up and take to the air.

This goes for sUAS, foot searchers, and medics as well. If you don't have the proper credentials it's not worth the risk. One mistake an we go from looking for one person to looking for multiple people in multiple areas and taking critical resources away from the proper person.

Trust me when I say I fully understand exactly where you're coming from. I felt/thought the same way when I first went to Emergency Services and offered my services to them. I was told "politely" that in order to work with them I would have to have some basic ICS training and then train with the dept in order to work in conjunction with them and not tie up resources. After jumping through the hoops it makes sense.. a LOT of sense now that I've been doing this for a few years.

Safe flights!
Allen
 
With all due respect it's not about attention or a chip. When you're working with the Govt you have to make sure you have every I "dotted" and T "crossed". When you factor in liability and such it makes it even worse.

Keep in mind we have to worry about manned aircraft coordination, sUAS coordination, Boots-on-the-ground and so many other resources they just can't afford for any Tom-****-Harry to show up and take to the air.

This goes for sUAS, foot searchers, and medics as well. If you don't have the proper credentials it's not worth the risk. One mistake an we go from looking for one person to looking for multiple people in multiple areas and taking critical resources away from the proper person.

Trust me when I say I fully understand exactly where you're coming from. I felt/thought the same way when I first went to Emergency Services and offered my services to them. I was told "politely" that in order to work with them I would have to have some basic ICS training and then train with the dept in order to work in conjunction with them and not tie up resources. After jumping through the hoops it makes sense.. a LOT of sense now that I've been doing this for a few years.

Safe flights!
Allen
I'm only saying some, not directed to you an any way.
 
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I'm only saying some, not directed to you an any way.


If I worded my reply to sound like I was offended or felt like it was towards me that is My mistake and not what I intended. Mea Culpa my friend.

I was just trying to shed some light on the thought process and why some organizations are reluctant to allow anyone to join without the right credentials. Sometimes it helps to understand why the entity is denying a request for FREE help and support. One might think, "It's free and I could help GREATLY.... why would anyone turn down such an offer?". When working with Govt it's more about being "Covered" (aka CYA) than what's the right thing to do. We live in such a contentious society where people are always ready to sue (aka Compensation Society or a Litigious Society) that we have learned to err on the side of caution to an extreme degree. One mistake and you get severely reprimanded or even released of duty in order to protect the "Image" of the Govt Entity.

Granted I have no doubts there are some depts who think, "Those things are just toys and we need Big Manly Tools to do this type of work" but that thought process is getting smaller and smaller every day. In almost every single Emergency Services publication on the market today they are toting the AMAZING usefulness and cost savings the sUAS to the ES industry as a whole.
 
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I know this thread is a little old, but it is covering a lot of what I had questions about...our local EOS had expressed interest in using drones a while back. I had heard that they didn't know anything about them and so gave up on it. I asked the other day if they had a need for drone ops in their EOS model and they said something to the effect of liability over highways and interstates.?? One of the head guys told me that MEMA (MS EMA) expressly told them they couldn't use one. WTF is too many rules around highways and interstates mean? I told them I would be happy to work with them (I have a general class HAM license and radio telephone operators license, too) if they wanted me to do the research for them.

How does it work, for those of you who operate for the EMA associations? Do you use your drone and charge for its use, or do you use the .gov's drone? What type drone and sensors do you use? FLIR? What, if any paperwork/training needs to be done (for the agency and/or operator)? Sorry for all the questions, I just feel like this is something my podunk area of the country needs, and that most of the powers that be are too lazy or ignorant to make it happen.

Thanks, all.
Joe
 
We use our equipment and for Emergency Services there is no charge to the dept. It's a volunteer situation. Emergency Services shouldn't be a profit center IMHO.

With that being said, our ES dept is currently trying to find/raise the $$ to buy M200 class aircraft with full Thermal etc. But for now it's my equipment we fly.

I am credentialed to fly locally and on a state (NC) ES team. In order to fly locally the county ES requires:

1) Part 107
2) NIMS 100, 200, 700, 800
3) $1M in liability insurance
4) go through our Hands On Flight Proficiency program

To operate on the state level you'll need 1 & 2 above as well as an Emergency Services agency to sponsor you, a letter of Rec from the Director/Manager from the agency sponsoring you, a letter of Workers Comp coverage by that agency, a min of 24 logged flight hours in the aircraft you intend to fly on-scene.

We are currently flying Phantoms, Inspires, and Mavics. Unfortunately we do not have any Thermal/IR sensors but hope to change that in the near future.
 
If I worded my reply to sound like I was offended or felt like it was towards me that is My mistake and not what I intended. Mea Culpa my friend.

When working with Govt it's more about being "Covered" (aka CYA) than what's the right thing to do. We live in such a contentious society where people are always ready to sue (aka Compensation Society or a Litigious Society) that we have learned to err on the side of caution to an extreme degree. One mistake and you get severely reprimanded or even released of duty in order to protect the "Image" of the Govt Entity.

That is true to an extent but there is a better reason that is not entirely obvious. We all joke about the government and its inefficiency but in emergency management you are working as part of a finely tuned machine where everyone not only knows their job but also their place. Everyone has a task to perform and if that task is not necessary then they aren't on scene. The command structure is clearly defined and you know (or should know) exactly what you are there for, who is going to task you to perform a job, what that job is, and when they expect it done (immediately usually).
If you don't know how the organisation works then you are in the way. Learning the lingo and the job is not something you will be asked to do at the scene of a natural disaster or emergency.
 
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That is true to an extent but there is a better reason that is not entirely obvious. We all joke about the government and its inefficiency but in emergency management you are working as part of a finely tuned machine where everyone not only knows their job but also their place. Everyone has a task to perform and if that task is not necessary then they aren't on scene. The command structure is clearly defined and you know (or should know) exactly what you are there for, who is going to task you to perform a job, what that job is, and when they expect it done (immediately usually).
If you don't know how the organisation works then you are in the way. Learning the lingo and the job is not something you will be asked to do at the scene of a natural disaster or emergency.


You absolutely nailed it!

When I'm mentoring someone into Emergency Services I tell them "At first the lingo doesn't make sense but once you understand it you'll know why we go through the training and exercises like we do". Until you learn the lingo etc it's like listening to a foreign language.

My very first LIVE mission was very early on and I was just getting started and still "Green as a gourde" and thank goodness my "job" was just checking responders IN to the scene. It seemed chaotic and disorganized because everyone was just doing their thing busy as bees. After years of "doing this" I fully appreciate the structure and lingo. If it were NOT this way we would get nothing done or at least not in a timely fashion.

I want to stress what @R Martin stated at the end there:
If you don't know how the organisation works then you are in the way. Learning the lingo and the job is not something you will be asked to do at the scene of a natural disaster or emergency.

You learn/train etc long before you actually get on scene because when you do arrive on scene it's Git-er-done. If we are having to hold your hand to train you we are using valuable resources that the mission at hand needs.
 
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My thoughts, Some leaders in a disaster response team have a chip on their shoulder, so now you come along and show a better way assisting in a disaster, now he's not the focus of attention anymore. :rolleyes:

I disagree. Having "been there and done that," the middle of an emergency while I was attempting to establish and manage incident command out of chaos, I had no time for Johnny and his drone. The time to make those personal connections is now, not after the disaster strikes. Demonstrate your professionalism and capabilities now, and get to know the players.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys! I'm not saying or implying that the group here has a chip on their shoulder on the job or anything, most I have known for 30 years or more and are [Langauge Removed by Moderator] off the EOC :D About 6 years ago they didn't have a HAM operator at all and I mentioned I might could help out...they told me that I MUST make every meeting the first 6 months or I was kicked off. I understand the importance of training, i really do-I worked several years on a carrier flight deck. It doesn't get much more dangerous than that. But they came across like they were doing me a favor to get in their secret club. The whole point of it I guess is that that don't know what they don't know about drones. The state told them they must meet a criteria and they are ignorant about what they need to do and therefor think they can't. Without a FLIR and night waiver, I can't see the practicality of a drone after dark, but maybe I am ignorant also. That's what you guys are for-to set me straight. Thanks for all the help!
 
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Thanks for all the replies, guys! I'm not saying or implying that the group here has a chip on their shoulder on the job or anything, most I have known for 30 years or more and are [Langauge Removed by Moderator]off the EOC :D About 6 years ago they didn't have a HAM operator at all and I mentioned I might could help out...they told me that I MUST make every meeting the first 6 months or I was kicked off. I understand the importance of training, i really do-I worked several years on a carrier flight deck. It doesn't get much more dangerous than that. But they came across like they were doing me a favor to get in their secret club. The whole point of it I guess is that that don't know what they don't know about drones. The state told them they must meet a criteria and they are ignorant about what they need to do and therefor think they can't. Without a FLIR and night waiver, I can't see the practicality of a drone after dark, but maybe I am ignorant also. That's what you guys are for-to set me straight. Thanks for all the help!

Joe, with all due respect, you have to understand that with every release of New Tech the Emergency Services dept get hammered with "subject matter experts". I'd guess our dept gets no less than 10 new "offers to train/demo" sUAS each and every week now. Most people (at least on a non Commercial basis) are in it to try and help/support our efforts there are also many looking to get rich (aka screw us over) off of Emergency Services.

Also we see many who talk the talk but when they see what's really involved they realize it's more of a commitment than they had intended and they simply stop coming to meetings/training and vanish off into the sunset.

While it's possible your EOC has some hard eggs I can tell you from lots of first hand experience the majority of our group are caring, dedicated, and down-to-earth people just like you and me.
 
I'm just kidding, they are a good bunch of guys (most times). I am far from a SMA, but have been known as 'the survival guy' from time to time. I used to (back when i had more time) stockpiled my doomsday rations and bullets and made sure the generators were kept in shape and fun skills honed...I still do all this, just not as frequent. I am learning the drone thin every where I can. We have a lot of people with drones, but most have "flown it twice and put it back in the box" type of people. I'm more of a learn all I can about it, type guy. I am going to do more research and see if I can help these guys to help themselves, at least in the drone dept. lol
 
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