People reported seeing things in the Colorado night sky, and, naturally, they thought the drones were taking over. Truth be told, it wasn't us. And we're not quite sure what it was, but we discuss Colorado officials' investigation into what exactly the good people of Colorado *were* seeing. And why this might concern real, earth-bound drone pilots. The hosts discuss more about the Super Bowl TFR violator, the aforementioned "Florida Man" who just can't seem to stay out of the news. Plus, we discuss what a few police departments are doing around the country with drones - specifically responding to 911 callers faster than any patrol car or fire truck can travel. Have a listen to today's episode and share your thoughts with us. We'd love to hear from you.  If you have a comment, question or want to contribute something to our show, email us at uas@mobilcomm.com (even include an audio file if you want us to play it on the show) or call and leave us a voice mail at (513) 595-5843. The episode is sponsored by Mobilcomm, Inc. Thank you for listening!

Public Safety Drone Podcast

Colorado Has UFOs

Ah, what would we collectively do without the ever-present "Florida man?" In this episode, we talk about "Florida Man" who, this time, flew his drone over Super Bowl-related events and got himself into some big-league trouble. We also pick up the discussion we started in Episode 8 about Remote ID, the FAA's newly-announced *proposed* rule requiring drones "to be identifiable remotely."  Have a listen to today's episode and share your thoughts with us. We'd love to hear from you.  If you have a comment, question or want to contribute something to our show, email us at uas@mobilcomm.com (even include an audio file if you want us to play it on the show) or call and leave us a voice mail at (513) 595-5843. The episode is sponsored by Mobilcomm, Inc. Thank you for listening!

A Florida Man Flies A Drone

Remote ID is here. Sort of. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, on December 26 (Merry Christmas!) announced a new *proposed* rule requiring drones "to be identifiable remotely." And then Christmas was officially canceled retroactively and drone pilots across the U.S. let out a collective primal scream (mostly via the Internet). So, to put it mildly, there were concerns. And they came from all sorts of pilots and many have eagerly shared their opinion with the FAA during the comment period - where the feds review and consider the public's opinion about the new rules - and hope big changes are made before the rules become the law. The comment period, by the way, ends on March 2, 2020. The Public Safety Drone Podcast hosts discuss these new rules and delve a little deeper into one aspect that could potentially be troubling: data. Who gets it, when do they get it and once they have it, what can they do with it. Have a listen to today's episode and share your thoughts with us. We'd love to hear from you.  If you have a comment, question or want to contribute something to our show, email us at uas@mobilcomm.com (even include an audio file if you want us to play it on the show) or call and leave us a voice mail at (513) 595-5843. The episode is sponsored by Mobilcomm, Inc. Thank you for listening!

Remote ID, the FAA's proposal

Yes, we already have a lost episode. How that all happened is a long, long story. Despite that, the content in this episode is well worth hearing, so here you go. Recorded right before Christmas 2019, the gang discusses what they're flying and why - plus we get into a little ancillary gear talk, too. And David - or KlooGee, as his YouTube fans know him - talks about the video he released right before this recording. In that video he crashed his Skydio 2 into the iconic Roebling Suspension Bridge connecting Cincinnati, Ohio to Covington, Ky. David discusses the hows and whys about what happened. And the discussion turns to if the Skydio is a good drone for public safety use? The group has some thoughts.  The episode is sponsored by Mobilcomm, Inc. If you have a comment, question or want to contribute something to our show, email us at uas@mobilcomm.com (even include an audio file if you want us to play it on the show) or call and leave us a voice mail at (513) 595-5843.

THE LOST EPISODE: What do you fly and why?

In this week’s episode, Fire Chief Amos Johnson, Lt. Steve Schueler, Firefighter Drone Pilot Superwoman Katie Thielmeyer, YouTube'r (KlooGee) David Glenn, and Regular Drone Pilot Guy Joe Wessels discuss drones. Shocking, huh? Well, we get an up-close and personal view of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, from Katie, who is working closely with the government agency. We also hear about Drone Responders, a nonprofit organization creating a public safety drone alliance. Basically, Katie knows a lot of stuff about this stuff. Meanwhile, Joe tries to collect himself and get his act together in the corner of the conference room.  Mobilcomm, Inc. sponsors the Public Safety Drone Podcast. Contact Mobilcomm for all your training needs – including training, quadcopters, consultation – anything drone-related. Call (877) 447-8433 or visit www.mobilcomm.com/uas for more information.  Be sure to subscribe and rate our podcast! Enjoy the show, and we'll be back next Thursday with another episode.

NIST and Drone Responders

The crew is back together again – this time with a special new part-time co-host Woodlawn, Ohio firefighter, Katie Thielmeyer, who, in her own right, is a top-notch public safety drone pilot. She's a great addition to the podcast, and we hope to have her on as much as we can in future episodes.  In this week’s episode, Fire Chief Amos Johnson, Police Lt. Steve Schueler, YouTube'r (KlooGee) David Glenn, and Regular Drone Pilot Guy Joe Wessels talk about a reported helicopter-drone collision in Los Angeles. An LA TV station helicopter pilot believes he collided with a renegade drone at 1,100 feet – and at night – and did an emergency landing procedure. Read more about it here: https://byjoe.ws/00eb5 The discussion ventures into remote ID, ADS-B, drone detection, and proposed rule changes – and how this affects, and often inhibits public safety operations. Mobilcomm, Inc. sponsors the Public Safety Drone Podcast. Contact Mobilcomm for all your training needs – including training, quadcopters, consultation – anything drone-related. Call (877) 447-8433 or visit www.mobilcomm.com/uas for more information.  Be sure to subscribe and rate our podcast! Enjoy the show, and we'll be back next Thursday with another episode.

Pilot Thinks It Was A Drone

Labor Day weekend, 250,000 people attend an annual celebration on the banks of the Ohio River. Started in 1977 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the rock-and-roll radio station, WEBN-FM, it is still – four decades later – the all-day-long event to ceremonially end the summer. The day culminates in an internationally-known monster fireworks display. For those in public safety, it provides a particular challenge. Now drones play a part. Lt. Schuler and Chief Johnson share their experiences that day – including getting a drone video feed to the emergency operations center. David and Joe share a story about how they were able to fly Joe’s drone – and get footage – during a Cincinnati Reds’ baseball game. It was quite the day – including some unforeseen hiccups that almost scuttled the whole operation. Plus, the entire flight approval process completed in three days! Joe also reveals who seemed to be the only group of people not in the loop about the operation.  Then, the conversation turns to enforcement – like when the police get called because of a drone operator. What can the police do when they encounter a drone operator breaking the rules? This conversation will continue… Enjoy the show! Mobilcomm sponsors the Public Safety Drone Podcast. Visit Mobilcomm.com/UAS for all your drone needs, including training, hardware, consultation, and custom drone solutions. Or call (877) 447-8433. Visit our website at publicsafetydronepod.com. Thank you for listening! Please rate the show and subscribe. It really helps!

The Eye in the Sky

What are the rules when a fire department or police agency deploys a drone to aid in their duties? That’s where standards hope to normalize how drones get utilized in the field – and keep departments out of legal trouble. As Lt. Schueler said, “It’s expensive to have your name on a case.” In other words, having standards protects everyone involved (and keeps you of court). In today’s episode, the group discusses the ever-evolving drone usage standards. The fire service has the NFPA 2400 standards – but what about law enforcement? There’s also a discussion about standard operating procedures, or SOPs, and other related acronyms (there are lots and lots of acronyms). Joe also shares a story about the day a $30,000 investment decided to fly away. The group starts a conversation about how they got their waivers and certificates of authorization, or COAs, and how they have used them. Some great pointers here, too, about how to the daytime waiver/night-time permission waiver can and cannot be used. Enjoy the show! And be sure to leave us a rating! Thank you! Mobilcomm sponsors the Public Safety Drone Podcast. Visit Mobilcomm.com/UAS for all your drone needs, including training, hardware, consultation, and custom drone solutions. Or call (877) 447-8433. Visit our website at publicsafetydronepod.com.

Your Standard Podcast

This is a quasi-Part 2 of our inaugural episode – at least for the first few minutes – but the four co-hosts get into other subjects relevant to the fire service, law enforcement, and more. Like what? Good question. Lt. Schueler shares a lot about software and what the Blue Ash Police Department has found useful for flight planning, clearing a flight and mapping. Fire Chief Johnson talks about what the Woodlawn Fire Department is using and what they’re trying out, including some talk about a large-scale outdoor public event and how he was able to get a live video back to an emergency operations center so they could watch EMS on the ground responding to incidents. David and Joe continue to keep the conversation going, even tossing in a few chuckles along the way. Enjoy the show! Mobilcomm sponsors the Public Safety Drone Podcast. Visit Mobilcomm.com/UAS for all your drone needs, including training, hardware, consultation, and custom drone solutions. Or call (877) 447-8433. Visit our website at publicsafetydronepod.com.

How *We* Use Drones

 On our inaugural episode of the Public Safety Drone Podcast, meet our four co-hosts: a police lieutenant, a fire chief, a self-described geek and drone YouTube’r with a lot of subscribers, and Joe – the guy who owns all the podcasting gear and flies drones (well, a little more than that, as you’ll hear). These four Part 107 remote-pilots-in-command share a little about themselves and how they use drones in their work and for fun. Steve Schueler, the police lieutenant, explains how the Blue Ash Police Department has used drones to keep officers safer in their jobs – and how they balance legal issues with how to utilize this emerging technology to keep their town safe and solve crimes. Fire Chief Amos Johnson shares why his department got into drones and how they can be game-changers on a fast-moving fire scene. David and Joe, ask questions and keep the conversation moving, sharing their drone knowledge and constant UAS curiosity.  Mobilcomm sponsors the Public Safety Drone Podcast. Visit Mobilcomm.com/UAS for all your drone needs, including training, hardware, consultation, and custom drone solutions. Or call (877) 447-8433. Visit our website at publicsafetydronepod.com.

Getting to Know Us

  Join four drone experts, including a fire chief, a police lieutenant, a firefighter very active in the national drone scene, a former journalist-turned-drone-guy and a well-known drone YouTuber as they share their knowledge, experience, and thoughts on how the public safety world utilizes drones and how it might in the near future.   Subscribe now to get all episodes free - just about anywhere you can get podcasts. And look for our first episode Thursday, November 14, 2019 with new episodes coming weekly.   If you have questions, comments or suggestions about the show or you'd like to be a guest, don't hesitate to contact us at uas@mobilcomm.com or call (877) 447-8433. We look forward to hearing from you!

Trailer: Public Safety Drone Podcast

Drones are everywhere – including the public safety community. Whether you work in law enforcement, the fire service, homeland security or disaster recovery, drones can be a real game-changer in the field. From clearing a traffic accident scene dramatically faster – reopening roads and getting the public moving again – or giving a fire chief the ability to determine the hot spots in a fire – or when a roof is about to collapse getting personnel out of harm’s way and saving lives, drones change the game. That’s what the Public Safety Drone Podcast is all about. Join experienced radio show host, journalist and Part 107 drone pilot Joe Wessels, along with fellow FAA drone pilots and co-hosts Woodlawn, Ohio Fire Chief Amos Johnson, Woodlawn Firefighter Katie Thielmeyer, Blue Ash, Ohio Police Lieutenant Steve Schueler and drone expert and popular YouTuber David Glenn – otherwise known as “KlooGee” – share their insights and expertise on the ever-changing and emerging unmanned aerial systems field – with a particular focus on how public safety utilizes drones to save money, save lives and keep costs down.

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Public Safety Drone Podcast

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