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Orange County Fire Rescue’s UAV Program was instituted in 2017 to support the department’s mission of providing life-safety and property-protection services to the citizens and visitors of Orange County. The program continues to serve personnel and residents by providing an aerial or underwater perspective with additional information to aid in the decision-making process on a variety of incidents. To find out how use the links below.
Robotics Program History
Where it all began
Orange County Fire Rescue Department (OCFRD) has been fortunate to have administrations throughout the lifespan of the program that have embraced advancements in technology in the interest of providing a high level of service to its citizens and personnel.
In 2015 the State of Florida hosted an informational meeting to discuss drone use in the fire service. OCFRD Assistant Chief Richard Saez attended this meeting and discussions with our Training Section piqued the interest of Battalion Chief Jason Perrigo and Lieutenant Jamal Afrifa in our Training Section, who had already purchased personal UAS to fly recreationally. Chief Perrigo and LT Afrifa engaged in multiple conversations with OCFRD’s Fire Chief at the time, Otto Drodz to discuss fire service applications for UAS. Chief Drodz recognized the benefits of adding a UAV program and was able to obtain Orange County Commission approval to add the program in early 2017.
Initially the program began with the purchase of three DJI aircraft; a Phantom 4, Inspire 1 and Mavic Pro and one FAA Part 107 certified pilot. By 2020 OCFRD had added an additional eleven aircraft, two underwater remote operated vehicles (ROV) and eight FAA Part 107 certified pilots. The variety of aircraft allowed program pilots to collect valuable information for incident command on a myriad of incidents. The incidents included structure fires, wildland fires, missing person searches, suspicious package incidents, hazardous materials incidents, elevated rescue incidents, water rescue incidents, training overwatch, inter-agency training, pre and post storm flooding evaluations, as well as public relations events.
As part of an effort to promote public safety and security regarding public safety drone use, Florida lawmakers have adopted various statutes limiting how UAS can be utilized and limiting what aircraft can be flown by government agencies in 2023. These changes forced all public safety UAV programs throughout the state to pivot and begin purchasing compliant aircraft. Orange County’s administration was able to facilitate the purchase of several National Defense Authorizations Act (NDAA) compliant aircraft to continue to provide support to its personnel.
In 2022, the UAV program was renamed the OCFRD Robotics Program to more adequately include the expanding capabilities. The Robotics Program operates on a 24/7 on-call basis, with one pilot being on-call every day operating out of a department vehicle. Pilots respond to calls as requested by an Incident Commander, Dispatch or a Shift Duty Officer (SDO).
Currently, OCFRDs Robotics Program includes eleven Part 107 certified pilots, one program support person, fifteen NDAA compliant aircraft, three underwater remote operated vehicles (ROV) – two with sonar capabilities, and one ground ROV. OCFRDs Robotics fleet includes three Skydio X10s, one Skydio X2E, four Skydio 2+, three Parrot Anafi USA, one Parrot AI, three TeleDyne FLIR Siras aircraft and two Deep Trekker Pivot underwater ROVs, one FiFishV6 Pro underwater ROV, and one SuperDroid ground ROV. The program will add payload dropping and fixed winged aircraft to its fleet this year.
UAS Program Design
Getting started
One of the initial steps to designing a UAS program for the fire service is to determine what services your department provides that will most benefit from a UAS program. Technology has evolved so rapidly that if there is a need there is a UAS or a ROV that can help to fill that need to at least some extent. In OCFRDs experience a dual camera (RGB/thermal) system has been the work horse of our fleet and is a solid place to start. When deciding on purchasing a UAS, consider what capabilities will be most useful to your organization.
· Still Image & Zoom Capabilities
· Video Capabilities
· Thermal Imaging Capabilities
· Mapping Capabilities (short range / long range)
· Live Streaming Capabilities
· Payload Dropping Capabilities
· Night Flight Capabilities
· Interior Flight Capabilities
· Drone as First Responder (DFR) Capabilities
Do some research and have conversations with your department administration and local government. One of the keys to the success of OCFRDs Robotics Program has been the support from our Administration. They were able to recognize the potential benefits early in the process and committed to helping our program manager to make it happen. Research the following topics:
· Local and state statutes
1. Are there any laws that place restrictions on how a UAS can be utilized by public safety agencies?
2. Are there any laws or proposed laws that place restrictions on the safety and security requirements of the UAS?
· Are there any grants available to your organizations that might offset the cost of purchasing UAS?
· Consider the climate and topography of your response area?
As you evaluate the aircraft available these criteria and in conjunction with budget considerations will narrow down the choices. Program managers should familiarize themselves with airspace restrictions or hurdles that may affect your operations. Obtain FAA approvals and be familiar with the regulations that allow UAS pilots to operate within National Airspace. Determine if your UAS personnel will need to obtain the FAA Part 107 certifications or fly under COA (Certificate of Authorization) or both. Establish training and recurrency for each member of your UAS Program. Maintain flight logs, training records, aircraft maintenance logs. As with everything we do, safety should always be our top priority.
UAS Legislation
Navigating UAS Legislation
There is a growing push to ensure data safety and security while utilizing modern technology. As a result, federal, state, and local governments have crafted legislation to limit what UAS may be operated by government agencies.
On the federal level the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) establishes security standards that UAS and UAS systems must meet. To provide guidance to its military branches, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit has created the Blue List – it includes aircraft that have been evaluated and certified as meeting NDAA compliance guidelines. Unfortunately, the DIU doesn’t have the funding, time, or staff to evaluate every aircraft on the market so while the blue list is a helpful guide, it doesn’t include all compliant aircraft. To speed up certifying compliant aircraft for non-defense applications, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has worked with industry stakeholders to create the Green List.
In 2022 and 2023 Florida lawmakers adopted various statutes limiting how UAS can be utilized and limiting what aircraft can be flown by government agencies. While Florida statutes don’t explicitly state that UAS must meet NDAA guidelines, it does establish similar guidelines. These changes forced all Florida public safety UAV programs throughout the state to pivot and begin purchasing compliant aircraft.
It is recommended that departments developing UAS programs, research what UAS legislation is currently on the books in their localities, as well as what laws have been proposed or will soon be proposed on the local and state level. NDAA compliant aircraft are expensive, but with planning it is possible to find compliant aircraft that can meet a department’s initial needs.
COA
Obtaining a Certificate of Authorization / Waiver
Depending on the needs of your agency, a department may choose to operate under a pilot’s Part 107 certification, under a Certificate of Authorization (COA) or both. The Part 107 certificate defines both where and how the pilot can operate a UAS in the National Airspace, to deviate from approved operations a pilot must obtain permissions from Air Traffic Control Tower. There may be situations during which a public safety agency may need to operate outside the parameters allowed under the Part 107certificate to ensure public safety – it is in these situations that having a COA in place will allow your pilots to complete a mission in the safest manner possible more quickly. The agency having obtained preauthorization to perform these functions can do so quickly.
Having both a COA and Part 107 certified pilots in place reinforces your department’s commitment to safety. Through the COA application process the FAA conducts a comprehensive operational and technical review of the information submitted. If necessary, provisions or limitations may be imposed as part of the approval to ensure your agency is operating safely with other airspace users. The FAA typically provides a formal response within 60 days from the time a completed application is submitted. The FAA allows some flexibility for pilots by allowing authorizations and waivers for various actions. Part 107.41 lists what regulations are authorizable, namely what airspace a pilot may operate in. In Part 107.205 the FAA lists what regulations can be waived.
The COA application process is a web-based system, and applicants will need to obtain an account to access the online system. To create an account, go to https://caps.faa.gov/.
When the FAA receives an application for a COA through the FAA’s COA On-line process, they initiate a review and an application assessment, including:
Type of mission
Launch/recovery/operations location(s)
Operational altitudes
Flight procedures
Communications
Emergency procedures such as lost communication and loss-of-control link
Pilot in command (PIC), flight crew, and observer qualifications and training requirements
The process of applying for a COA may seem daunting but the FAA is working to make it less so. For reference the FAA website has public COAs that can be viewed. If you have questions throughout the COA application process you can email the FAA / UAS Office at UASHelp@faa.gov for more information or clarification.
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