From left to right, Shawn White – Sustainable Range Program Geographic Information Systems Coordinator, Wesley Hill – Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Fire Chief, Jason Demars – Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Fire Chief, and Richard Watson - Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention. (U.S. Army Photo by Jennifer “JJ” James, Fort Riley Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services is fielding a new DoD-approved, blue-listed Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) commonly known as a drone. This new device, nicknamed Football One, allows emergency services personnel to find a lost hunter, hiker, or resident more quickly and easily, provide a closer look at wildfires, and allow for quick reaction to crisis as it can be in the air within two minutes of arriving on a scene.
The UAS has a range capability up to 5 miles and a built-in safety feature that will return it to its designated home space once it reaches these limits. It includes three sensors: one RGB camera with zoom, one RGB standard camera, and one thermal sensor. Fort Riley is the first installation authorized to have a UAS with these capabilities in its Fire and Emergency Services Department.
Ric Seward, Fire Chief, Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services states, “The efficiency of this drone is going to provide DES life, health and service capabilities.” When it comes to wildfires, Fort Riley extends a lot of manpower and resources to fight and contain the fires. Seward said, “There will be times where we’ll be able to fly this to get a bird’s eye view of what fire behavior is doing inside the impact area and possibly reduce the amount of hours we have to spend out here observing. It’s certainly a force multiplier in our service delivery capabilities and how we’ll operate in the future. It’s kind of like having boots on the ground, without actually having boots on the ground.”
To become a drone pilot and obtain certification, personnel must be vetted through the FAA in CFR 14, part 107 for commercial flight. Jason Demars, Assistant Fire Chief for Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services, is the first certified UAS operator on staff. Demars said, “Currently Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services is in the process of training 15-20 UAS operators through four-day courses available from K-State and Salina.”
To learn more about Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services, visit https://home.army.mil/riley/index.php/about/dir-staff/directorate-emergency-services/fire-and-emergency-services or follow them on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FRFES.
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