Austin Fire Department is showing off one of their new tools — aimed at helping keep people safe – their unmanned aerial vehicle, more commonly known as a “drone.” Since drones are a popular holiday gift item, they say it’s important to know the rules beforehand, and check with the FAA.
The department used them to help after the deadly Memorial Day weekend floods.
But at the same time, they can be dangerous if someone else flies them around emergency scenes.
Firefighter Coitt Kessler says, “Our helicopters cannot make entry into areas where the unmanned aerial systems are operating – where they’re flying. It’s just too dangerous. That is certainly a problem. We have individuals who are flying these things into emergency scenes that create distractions for us. That is terribly dangerous. We cannot be distracted. We need to be focused on the people that we’re going out to save.”
AFD says their drone team has eight personnel, including pilots.
Source: KXAN