DOT Drone Pilot Program to Benefit Emergency Management
The U.S. Department of Transportation has named 10 agencies to participate in its Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilot program to accelerate safe UAS integration. One field that could see immediate opportunities from the program is emergency management.
Photo via Pixabay
The U.S. Department of Transportation has named 10 agencies to participate in its Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilot program to accelerate safe UAS integration. Each agency will evaluate its own operational concepts, including public safety and use by first responders, package delivery, and delivery of time-sensitive medical equipment.
The Integration Pilot Program will help the USDOT and the Federal Aviation Administration craft new rules regarding low-altitude operations. Fields that could see immediate opportunities from the program include emergency management, commerce, photography, agricultural support, and infrastructure inspections, according to the USDOT.
The awarded agencies and their areas of focus are:
San Diego’s local program will include projects such as flying medical specimens from the University of California, San Diego; enhancing public safety by deploying drones to incident scenes in advance of first responders; testing food delivery from restaurants to consumers using Uber; and testing the integration and communication between driverless cars and unmanned aircraft systems.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will focus on agricultural, public safety, and infrastructure inspections.
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority in Herdon, Va., will focus on package delivery in rural and urban settings.
The Kansas Department of Transportation will work on deploying UAS to support beyond visual line of sight operations in rural communities.
Lee County Mosquito Control District in Florida will focus on control and surveillance of the mosquito population.
The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority in Tennessee will focus on the inspection of FedEx aircraft and autonomous operations.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will test localized package delivery.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation will focus on UAS operations at night and beyond visual line of sight.
The City of Reno, Nev., will focus on the time-sensitive delivery of life-saving medical equipment such as in emergency situations.
The University of Alaska-Fairbanks will focus on pipeline inspections and surveying in remote areas and harsh climactic conditions.
Related: How to Implement and Justify a Drone Program for Your Police Agency
More Operations
Public Fleet Professionals Set to Converge as GFX Gets Underway
Known as the largest gathering of public fleet professionals in the nation, GFX will feature in-depth training sessions, emerging fleet technologies, and access to leading suppliers and service providers.
Read More →
The Technician Pipeline: Finding, Keeping, and Promoting Techs Within the Operation
A look at where to find good talent, what fleets are doing to incentivize those techs to stay within the fleet, and what promotion looks like for a technician within the public sector.
Read More →
5 Public Fleet Stories Worth Revisiting Before GFX | The May Dispatch
Public fleet leaders are being asked to prepare for more, communicate better, and make decisions that hold up under pressure.
Read More →
Drive More Profit with Greater Fleet Uptime
Fleet downtime costs money. JASPER helps keep vehicles on the road with quality remanufactured components, fast nationwide delivery, and reliable solutions that boost uptime and profitability.
Read More →
Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter
Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.
Read More →
Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?
Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.
Read More →
Minneapolis Fire Department Prepares to Add Three New Pierce Enforcer Pumpers to Front-Line Fleet
The order, secured through Pierce dealer MacQueen, marks the department’s move from commercial chassis pumpers to Pierce custom fire apparatus designed to meet the operational demands of Minnesota’s largest city.
Read More →
The Human Side of Fleet Leadership: Lessons from Larry Campbell
As public fleets navigate rapid change through AI, telematics, and increasing operational pressures, Larry Campbell believes the fundamentals of leadership matter more than ever. The longtime fleet leader reflects on accountability, integrity, and why earning trust remains the foundation of a successful fleet operation.
Read More →
Turn Fleet Data Into Smarter Decisions
Fleet leaders have access to more operational data than ever, but disconnected systems and unclear metrics often slow decision-making instead of improving it. This article outlines five practical steps fleets can take to transform fragmented data into actionable insights that improve planning, safety, utilization, and long-term performance.
Read More →
RoadFlex Brings Fleet Spend Management to the Field with Mobile App for Drivers, Fleet Managers
Through the RoadFlex mobile app, drivers can access their assigned cards, view recent transaction activity, and upload receipts directly from their mobile devices.
Read More →