NUAIR, Florida nonprofit working to integrate drones in public safety, state-agency operations

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — NUAIR announced it is working with a Florida nonprofit to integrate drone technology into public safety and state-agency operations.

Syracuse–based NUAIR is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research. The nonprofit focuses on UAS operations, aeronautical research, safety management, and consulting services. A UAS (unmanned aircraft system) includes a drone and equipment used to control its flight. A drone is also referred to in the industry as an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV.

DRONERESPONDERS is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Miami Beach, Florida. It focuses on aerial first responders and emergency managers, helping them learn, train, and fly in emergency situations, per its website.

NUAIR and DRONERESPONDERS are working to “fast-track” state agency drone adoption to “ease financial burdens” and free up state resources “in these uncertain times, when resources are sparse,” NUAIR said.

State-agency adoption of drone technology across the U.S. continues to rise as states begin to see how drones are making operations more efficient, NUAIR contends. In New York, NUAIR has already helped more than 25 state, county, and local agencies implement their drone programs. The public-safety sector continues to utilize drones for search and rescue, accident reconstruction, firefighting assistance, and other operations.

“We have helped multiple public-safety organizations implement their drone programs, providing us with unique insight into their specific needs,” Ken Stewart, CEO of NUAIR, said. “Our partnership with DRONERESPONDERS will lead to more public safety and state agency drone programs being implemented faster, leading to significant cost savings to the state and more efficient services to its residents.”

DRONERESPONDERS has more than 3,800 members from across public-safety disciplines, government organizations, nonprofits, academia, and industry with participation from 48 countries. Its online drone-resource center provides members with training aids and videos, regulation updates, and other resources tailored specifically for the needs of public safety drone operations.

In addition to public-safety organizations using drones, multiple departments of transportation and other infrastructure agencies are “benefitting from the significant cost savings drones provide,” NUAIR said. These organizations are using drones for costly, routine maintenance of infrastructure including bridges, roads, and stockpiles.