SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – It’s a growing trend with more and more first responders around New York– starting to implement drones into their work.
Just this week New York State Police in Oneida put their drone to use flying high above the scene of a deadly taser incident between a man and deputies.
Investigators are hoping the machine can provide another perspective on what happened there.
Well before this day State Police were getting help from Central New York’s NUAIR Alliance on how best to implement drones into police work.
NUAIR operates one of just seven FAA approved drone test sites in the United States.
Tony Basile, Vice President for Operations at NUAIR Alliance, says, “We can’t afford to have a New York State agency do something wrong it will impact what people think, the credibility of the test site and the State in general, so do it right and that’s why we’ve gotten involved.”
Basile says he’s already worked with a growing list of law enforcement agencies, not just teaching pilots how to fly but building a program of what missions they’ll fly and making sure training for pilots is ongoing.
“Search and rescue was very big, especially with a thermal sensor on it so you can see heat, someone lost in the woods. Accident reconstruction, traffic control.” Basile tells NewsChannel 9.
It’s not just State and other police departments Basile and NUAIR are working with on drone programs they’re also in talks right now with the Syracuse Fire Department about a drone program.
Basile says, “Since the FAA has relaxed what they’re requiring of emergency responders many agencies are now contacting us to give them some help.”
NUAIR, based out of Rome’s Griffiss International Airport, has also helped the State DEC and others with drone programs. [Click for More]