 Emergency responders around the region could soon be using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, according to a plan revealed in a press conference Wednesday.
Nothing is set in stone yet. It has to be approved by the Washoe County Commission (Officials plan to meet with Commissioners in January) and the Federal Aviation Administration before we can even think about seeing UAVs in our airspace.
"It will take time," said Mike Richards, President and CEO of Drone America. "But, it's a good opportunity for us to prove safety and reliability and work alongside the FAA to gain their confidence and also to gain confidence of the community. When people look at unmanned systems, there are always some skeptics, but when you demonstrate the ability to save time when saving a life, it's hard to argue that it's not an effective tool."
The stakeholders include Drone America, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Reno and Sparks Police, the Desert Research Institute, the University of Nevada, Reno, TMCC, and the U.S. Attorney's Office. They are looking to use UAVs for emergency services like finding missing people or carrying medical supplies.
"We're not going to use it in an offensive way at all," said Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley. "We're not going to watch for people. We're not going to put it on SWAT calls or that type of thing."
Drone America is based in Reno, and Richards told Channel 2 News that his prototype is built tough.
"It is carbon-Kevlar® construction. So, you can actually beat it to death, cover it in mud, and then take off."
It is also water-proof, and someone can actually use it as a floatation device.
Firefighters told Channel 2 News that a UAV could be very useful in monitoring brush fires from a safe distance without putting their crews in danger.
"(To) understand how big the fire is," said Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Chief Charles Moore. "What kind of resources are we going to need? Where is it moving? Understand a lot more about that fire before we even deploy."
The UAVs would need to be flown by qualified, licensed pilots. So, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office says their RAVEN helicopter pilots would handle that duty.
Educators also say the UAV industry will benefit our economy. TMCC offers a program that teaches students how to fix and maintain systems.
"As these come into the civil arena, someone is going to need to work on these," said Mark Sharp, a UAV Instructor with TMCC Applied Industrial Technologies. "Somebody is going to need to understand how the power plants work, how the autonomous systems work, how they think, how they're controlled. So, the industry is going to need technicians."
He says if the proposal is approved, it could be used for more than just emergency services.
"Just think of some of the industrial applications. They can inspect power lines. They can inspect geothermal plants. We can see just about any inspection you can imagine, precision agriculture, livestock management."
As for the initial funding, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office says it is expected to come from drug seizure money.
"It's a great thing to do," Sheriff Haley said. "Drug seizure money would go to help kids, find kids, to rescue people. I think it is a wonderful thing."
