NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 22

Dispatches
TRAINING
DRONE SMARTS
A NEW NFPA TRAINING PROGRAM HELPS
FIRE DEPARTMENTS SET UP COMPLIANT
DRONE PROGRAMS
By Jesse Roman
F
or the modern fire service, aerial drones have
proven to be a valuable tool across a range
of incidents, including search and rescue,
wildfire, inspection, emergency mapping, and
more.
And yet, there's a big problem: surveys indicate that a
lack of training and knowledge about how to set up a compliant
drone program is preventing many departments from
fully embracing the technology. Some departments are forging
ahead anyway, opening themselves up to lawsuits and
inviting potential safety hazards, according to experts.
Addressing this training-and-knowledge gap is the intent
behind NFPA's comprehensive new drone training course.
Developed with input from public safety drone experts, the
four-hour course will be free to the US fire service starting
in September by visiting nfpa.org/drones.
The new training is built around NFPA 2400, Standard
for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for
Public Safety Operations, and uses videos, interactivity, and
gaming mechanics to teach trainees how to build and maintain
a public safety drone program that takes into account
accredited standards as well as Federal Aviation Administration
regulations.
The project is part of a nearly $1 million grant NFPA
received at the end of 2019 from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). In addition to creating the
course, NFPA will also maintain a database to track fire
service drone programs and usage and to connect agencies
across the country.
" As we've seen with NFPA training for alternative fuel
vehicles and energy storage systems, the fire service is eager
to learn about emerging technologies that may present new
hazards, or in this case help mitigate and monitor safety
22 | NFPA JOURNAL * FALL 2021
challenges, " Christian Dubay, NFPA vice president and chief
engineer, said shortly after the FEMA grant was announced.
" The new educational resources and portal will help fire
departments across the country confidently establish and
maintain public safety drone programs. "
As part of the effort to build the training portal, the Fire
Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) and researchers at
the University of Oklahoma undertook an exhaustive review
of the best practices at safety agencies across the country.
That included surveying more than 80 departments, hosting
a workshop attended by public safety drone experts,
and conducting an academic literature review to assess
the current level of safety-department drone usage and
understanding, as well as the policies and standards they
follow. The result of that effort is a 57-page report, " Public
Safety Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) Compliance
Training: Literature Review & Case Study, " which will be
published by the FPRF in August. The report will be available
online at nfpa.org/research.
Beginning this September, visit nfpa.org/drones to learn
more about NFPA's new drone training program and to read
past NFPA Journal coverage on the growing use of drones
in public safety.
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http://www.nfpa.org/drones http://www.nfpa.org/research http://www.nfpa.org/drones
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021

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