The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services announced on Wednesday that the State’s Preparedness Training Center hosted its second annual Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Summit this week.
The event brought together local, state, federal and international officials to share information, best practices, and lessons learned with regards to the use of UAS – or ‘drone’ - technology to support public safety missions, according to state officials.
The two-day summit included discussion on a broad spectrum of topics related to UAS usage and public safety, as well as a ‘skills day’ in which participants competed in training scenarios designed to test piloting and usage abilities, officials added.
“As unmanned aircraft systems become more and more prevalent in our society, it’s important we train our first responders to understand how they are used, not only during emergencies, but also in coordination with other responding agencies,” said Patrick Murphy, state Homeland Security and Emergency Services commissioner.