Indiana wants Unmanned Systems for first responders

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Integrating unmanned flight systems into use for domestic surveillance can provide first responders with key information.

Integrating unmanned flight systems into use for domestic surveillance can provide first responders with key information in responding to fires, earthquakes and man-made disasters, said John Hill, director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
According to Emergency Management the biggest obstacle to using unmanned systems in a domestic response, Hill said in his introduction, is regulations that have not yet been established by the Federal Aviation Administration, Hill said.
Hill said he hopes the FAA will grant controlled operating areas, or COA, for unmanned flights in disasters. “Then the FAA would set up an area to alert pilots to avoid that area while they are doing their surveillance,” Hill said.
Hill said unmanned systems can also work on the ground, pointing to systems the state obtained in 2005 through homeland security grants to deal with explosive ordnance devices.
Unmanned systems can help fighters battle wildfires, providing escape routes, and can help law enforcement, such as in hostage situations.