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Drones — FAA Reauthorization Bill

One item specific to disasters and emergency management.

The recent legislation associated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization includes this provision: 

Applications for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations related to disaster recovery and emergency preparedness would be handled on an expedited basis.

This is good news for emergency managers at all levels of the public and private sectors. It is recognition of the value that drone operations can add to the disaster response and recovery efforts. 

Watch for continued stories about successful efforts to use drones in our emergency management ecosphere.

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.