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DZ Podcast: Implementing a Drone Program

You need a drone whisperer.

A few years ago, someone like me wanting to be creative and use the latest technology available would go out and purchase a drone for around $1,200 and start using it. Or, back in the day I advocated for search and rescue groups to buy the drone so they would not be subject "directly" to control by a county. 

Today it is a brave new world of drone operations. Now there are laws, regulations and permits to be obtained. Not everyone will need the detailed assistance of a company like End State Solutions, but if you are really moving into the realm of maximizing the use of the technology, it would be the best thing to do — to nail down everything and dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" to stay out of trouble in the future.

See my latest Disaster Zone Podcast: "Implementing a Drone Program," which is described below.

"Drones are becoming a critical piece of technology for any disaster response or emergency management function, however you cannot simply go out and just start flying a drone if you are a business. To maintain the safety of the national airspace, pilot and mission certifications are necessary to be in place for the aircraft and all your operational procedures. This episode is an interview with Charlton Evans, who leads End State Solutions, a company that helps public and private sector organizations with the Federal Aviation Administration’s process for having the legal authority to operate in the continental United States airspace."

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