Safety Specialist Edward Shelton recently received his Federal Aviation Administration Certified Remote Pilot certification, allowing him to become a drone pilot and provide additional services to our members.
Shelton joins Public Safety Specialist Gary Dillon and Director of Education and Training Thomas Bullock as VRSA FAA-licensed drone pilots.
All three are available to work with members to show them ways to reduce risks through the use of drones, as well as provide guidance on the rules and regulations regarding the use of drones by a public entity.
Since that time, many members have utilized drones to perform inspections on their facilities, including dams, tree canopies, rooftops, and other structures where employees could risk injury. VRSA has also provided grant funds to several members to assist them in purchasing a drone for these specific uses.
- Crashes resulting in damages or injuries;
- Trespass or allegations of trespass;
- Privacy breach and civil rights violations;
- Failure to supervise or limit use; and more.
More information on the considerations of the public operation of drones is available here.
For those interested in utilizing drones in their operations, Shelton, Dillon, and Bullock offer drone demonstrations as well as drone policy templates.
All three are available to work with members to discuss ways to reduce risk through the use of drones, provide guidance on rules and regulations regarding the use of drones, share lessons learned from various drone types, and help your entity get started sooner and easier with utilizing drones.
If you are interested in utilizing drones in your entity, please contact your assigned safety consultant at 800-963-6800.