NFPA Journal - July/August 2017 - 47

FDNY

officials that we are doing things the
departments in the nation to receive
That's why until now it's been the Wild
right way, and that there is now a roadFAA permission to fly drones.
West-figuring out all of this without
map to follow that gives departments
"The FAA did not design Part 107
any real guidance is really hard."
something to work to meet."
specifically with public safety agencies
The FAA itself has said that the new
Many departments have moved forin mind-we fit into 107, and we will
licensing rule is nothing more than a
ward with obtaining FAA approval to
make it work for us the same way we
blanket document that speaks broadly
fly drones. Since the FAA's new Part
made COAs work for us," Kessler told
to all commercial pilots, that it is not
107 rule on piloting commercial drones
me. "But there are gaps for each of
tailored to the unique needs of any one
was issued in June 2016, about 43,000
those. For instance, according to the
group such as first responders. For those
Remote Pilot Certificates have been
FAA, you can self-certify your people-
granular-level details, the administration
issued, according to FAA Administrator
what does that mean? Do you really
is relying on organizations like NFPA to
Michael Huerta. The certificates allow
have a program in place to certify
step up, said Wes Ryan, manager of the
commercial drone operators (including
somebody? Do you have policies and
FAA's advanced technology branch.
public safety operators) to fly UAS with
procedures in place? Do you have train"We put in place a regulatory struccertain restrictions, such as flying under
ing in place? My answer is I hope so.
ture that needs to be filled in with
400 feet and keeping
the drone within the
operator's line of sight
(see "The FAA Rules,"
page 45). The process
for obtaining the pilot
license involves passing
an FAA-administered
test, a dramatic simplification from the
expensive, months-long
process previously
required to obtain
an FAA Certificate of
Authorization, or COA,
which was the only
way public safety agencies could legally fly.
It's not clear what percentage of the new Part
107 pilot certificates
have been given to
public safety operators,
but there's little doubt
it's a growing stream.
Leaders in the
public safety UAS
movement, however,
are quick to point out
that obtaining an FAA
pilot credential doesn't
mean a public agency
is ready to take flight.
There's a lot more to
it than passing a test
and buying a drone,
said Coitt Kessler, who
leads the emergency
TRAINING + DEPLOYMENT
Bottom, members of the Fire Department of the City of New York
robotics deployment
train with a tethered drone that receives continuous power from
team for the Austin
the attached cord and can remain aloft indefinitely. Top, an image
taken by a tethered drone of an apartment fire in New York City.
Fire Department,
one of the first
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2017
