Drones Saving Lives After a Disaster!
Anthony Hernandez
Mission Specialist I Volunteer at Scobee Education Center (NASA-STEM)
Many individuals use and operate drones for search and rescue, law enforcement, firefighting, and agriculture operations. Many are licensed and operate as remote pilot operators for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) part 107, which allows operators to work and turn their drones for profit-making in real estate. As those experienced drone operators using heavy drones to deliver medical, water, and food supplies, the operator who is already a Part 107 will apply for an FAA Part 91 exemption to be able to operate. Especially after the Hurricane Helene disasters, even the smaller helicopters can have difficulty entering the disaster scene, which can put the flight crew in danger; this is where Part 91 exempt drone pilots come in.
If a drone happens to crash, there will only be the loss of the drone, and some of these exempt drones cost as much as $50,000, but there will be no loss of life. Smaller drones are being used to reach over the height of the mountains, so the larger drones can fly over the mountains using visual cameras to view and approach areas of the disaster to select drop-off sites to deliver urgent supplies to disaster victims and then return to base to prepare for the next delivery for other disaster victims.
In the beginning, drone operators who had drones with thermal imaging and heavy load delivery capability were not permitted to help if it was not FEMA, the FAA, or the Tenseness Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) that forbade the use of drones. Many of these operators could not fly drones for the American Red Cross or other nonprofit organizations; many had their IRS 501c and were able to get into contact with local emergency management and file an ISC form 405 as a disaster asset under FEMA regulations, following all the safety rules, and regulations for safe flight operations and not interfering with human-crewed helicopter rescue operations.
Volunteer drone pilots are not just helping communities in the disaster states affected by Hurricane Helene, they are doing so at their own expense. These teams are self-supported, bringing their own resources such as generators, food, water, tools, sleeping, and radio gear to communicate with local officials of emergency management. They understand that the communities they are helping do not have the resources to support them, so they help themselves as a service to those affected by the disasters.
The additional service the drone pilots provide is that the videos of their flights are captured, and emergency management officials can assess areas of the disaster to figure out what equipment and personnel will be needed to clear the debris. Drone operators have coordinated effectively with local law enforcement, firefighters, and the National Guard to identify disaster victims still needing help. They play a crucial role in clearing areas for safety, allowing ground rescue personnel or helicopter pilots to fly in and rescue victims. This coordinated effort, involving volunteers, non-government organizations, and even professional entities, has effectively managed disaster operations. Some of the following links ar video footage of drones flying emergency supply deliveries.
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