On August 16 and 17, NUAIR and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) held their fourth annual New York State Public Safety UAS Summit, a two-day uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS or drone) summit designed specifically for New York State public safety officials.
Day one was held at the State Preparedness Training Center (SPTC) in Oriskany, NY and day two held at Griffiss International Airport, Rome. The UAS Summit attracted over 150 public safety officials from across the state who received updates on the latest drone regulations pertinent to first responders and witnessed live demonstrations of the latest UAS technology and services designed specifically to help public safety operations.
“As part of our long-standing partnership with DHSES, we conduct year-round training at the SPTC for New York State agencies including night flying, tactical beyond visual line of sight operations, and overall drone flight best practices,” said NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart. “We always look forward to our annual Public Safety UAS Summit, showcasing the latest and greatest drone technologies and helping more organizations realize the economic, safety, and ecological advantages of drones.”
The first day of the UAS Summit held at the SPTC provided ample opportunities for learning and sharing best practices for drone operations in various public safety situations. The morning session featured a presentation by Mike O’Shea, program manager and public safety liaison for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with an update on the latest UAS policies and regulations. Followed by an update by NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart and NUAIR’s NYFLY program, which provides continuous training to New York State agencies and has helped over 70 NYS agencies implement their drone programs. Participants also learned of the latest updates and policies that relate to counter UAS –technologies and services developed strictly to help agencies defend community assets and its people against the nefarious use of drones.
Drone Scanning NUAIR Mobile Ops Center
The second day of the NYS Public Safety UAS Summit was held at Griffiss International Airport, home to the New York UAS Test Site, one of only seven FAA-designated UAS test sites in the country. The event, located in a former military airplane hangar, owned by Oneida County, was filled with multiple vendors showcasing the latest drone technologies designed specifically for public safety operations. Throughout the day vendors conducted live demonstrations of their technologies and services including different drone platforms and payloads, cameras, counter UAS systems, live-streaming capabilities, software, and more.
“Oneida County was honored to host the New York State Public Safety UAS Summit at our Griffiss International Airport facility and the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “Public Safety is reaching new heights through the UAS industry, and along with our partner NUAIR, we are on the forefront of the innovation, research and development that is making it happen.”
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “DHSES works throughout the year to train public safety officials on emerging trends and technologies to help them succeed in their missions. UAS has become more prevalent among emergency responders, and we are proud to support NUAIR in hosting this important annual training in Oneida County.”
The New York State Public Safety UAS Summit is part of NUAIR’s NYFLY program which supports the NYS DHSES and all New York State and local agencies exploring the use of drones for critical missions and daily operations. NYFLY is one of NUAIR’s core initiatives to help New York State and local agencies integrate scalable drone operations with the highest level of safety, are regulatory compliant, and make daily operations more efficient. NUAIR has helped over 70 agencies implement their drone programs and are actively seeking to help more.
Source: Press Release