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Charles Werner, your host, welcomes Clay Regan to today’s episode. Clay is a police Lieutenant (Lt.), UAS/Drone Innovator, and a Mental Health Professional. In this episode, Clay talks about his extensive career in the drone field, the Public Safety Unmanned Response Teams, and the most remarkable missions flying drones. He also shares what Drone Clear is and how it is changing and improving law enforcement missions.   Key Takeaways: [1:12] Clay Regan introduces himself. [2:25] Clay talks about the Public Safety Unmanned Response Teams. [2:37] What was Clay’s first time using the Public Safety Unmanned Response Teams? [3:24] When he started working for the Texas Police Department, did Clay know in advance he was going to be starting a UAS program there? [4:21] Clay talks about the most interesting thing he got to do in the department he is in now. [5:10] Clay speaks about the support mission in Missouri City after the strike of hurricane Harvey. [7:32] Clay explains how he started his existing drone program and what kind of aircraft they are flying. [8:18] Does Clay have two separate teams between police and fire? Do they have any joint training? [8:50] What are the types of missions that Clay sees on a regular basis? [10:18] What is the most significant incident that Clay has participated in with his drone program? [12:00] Clay explains how when he got to the Texas Department there was already an interest in the UAS program. [13:25] How did Clay and his program use the drones for vaccination monitoring? [15:46] What would Clay do today if he didn’t have the drones? [16:21] Clay shares what he has been doing in the field of internal flights. [17:10] What is Drone Clear? [19:17] Clay shares an experience using Drone Clear. [20:12] Drone Clear could be extended to other areas beyond law enforcement. [21:52] Clay shares his plans to develop Drone Clear as much as he can in order to later share it. [22:00] Is there a cost associated with Drone Clear? [22:45] Clay talks about the possibility of scaling Drone Clear based on the existing resources. [24:54] Charles talks about the three main benefits coming from drones.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events  

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes you to another episode where he is diving deep into the legal issues and decisions that have been made inTexas and for that, he is accompanied by Mickey H. Osterreicher who is the general counsel at the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and was very much engaged in the events happening in Texas on March 22nd, 2022, when a federal judge overturned the state of Texas’ stringent drone restrictions, holding that it was an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.   Key Takeaways: [1:34] Mickey talks about what is happening in Texas that caused new legislation to be created. [4:42] Mickey shares the judge's sentence. [8:23] Was there any particular incident that caused this problem in Texas? [10:36] Mickey talks about the other places that experienced the same problem that happened in Texas. [16:18] Often police officers have no idea about the laws in regards to drones. [18:10] Mickey states: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” [19:08] Learn more about the FAA offers the Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP). [19:58] Mickey shares a relevant case in Michigan. [22:29] Mickey talks about California versus Ciraolo, a case decided by the United States Supreme Court, in which it ruled that warrantless aerial observation of a person's backyard did not violate the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. [24:47] There are many differences between man and unmanned aircraft, and these distinctions impact a landowner’s reasonable expectation of privacy in different ways. [28:25] Mickey shares how drones are being used in Ukraine at the moment. [30:04] Sometimes people do not understand that the FAA is the authority over the air space. [33:13] Mickey and Charles talk about drone delivery.   ‘Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events   Email Charles at [email protected]  

Charles Werner, your host, is joined by Mark Bathrick to today’s episode. Mark is a retired Department of the Interior Aviation Services Director, he and Charles look back to the programs he worked on since he was involved in the development of the Unmanned Aircraft System Fleet and DOI which had a great impact on the Public Safety field.   Key Takeaways: [1:25] Mark shares a bit about his background and how he got to work at the Department of Interior. [3:12] Mark talks about his motivation to get involved in drones and DOI. [4:27] Mark shares the challenges he faced trying to introduce the use of drones at DOI. [6:02] Mark explains how he convinced others of the amazing benefits of using drones. [7:52] Mark speaks about the migration process to a totally new idea of leadership. [10:06] Mark talks about the origins of the immersion of drones at DOI. [11:25] Mark shares how they achieved across-the-board successes. [12:46] At DOI they needed to change the course and go in a different direction than the original, Mark explains this process. [15:07] Using drones not only saves lives but also time and money. [15:36] With drones you can do so much with so little! [16:53] Mark talks about the four aspects that really define their program. [18:26] Mark talks about the change in the acceptance of drones during the robust hurricane season of 2016. [22:40] Mark shares about missions with drones in wildfire situations. [28:40] Mark speaks about the experience for his people to start using drones during hurricane season. [33:22] Mark shares what he would have done if he still worked for DOI. [35:03] Mark talks about the support he got from the FAA. [38:30] The biggest challenge is data, drones are collecting more data than it can be analyzed. [41:00] What are the future opportunities on the horizon for drones in Public Safety? [44:10] How can the analysis of data collected by drones be improved? [48:35] Mark shares what is on the horizon for him, now that he is retired. [50:32] Charles invites Mark to become one of the board of advisors for Drone Responders. [51:19] Mark shares his advice to people thinking about starting a drone program.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events DOI UAS Fleet. U.S. Department of the Interior    

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes Blake Resnick, CEO of BRINC Drones, to today’s episode, to talk about the background and the history of BRINC Drones and its bond with public safety operations. Blake Resnick has raised over $27 million from an impressive roster of investors including Index Ventures, Sam Altman, Figma's Dylan Field, and Scale AI's Alexandr Wangn to make BRINC Drones a reality. Blake aims to change the way the police and rescue teams operate during emergencies and, in this episode, he shares his journey from his first cold call to working along with the busiest SWAT team.   Key Takeaways: [1:12] Blake talks about himself, the man behind BRINC Drones. [2:47] What was the catalyst that made Blake become interested in drones? [5:15] After the Las Vegas shooting Blake started to explore the use of technology in these kinds of scenarios. [6:15] Blake shares examples of how technology has been contributing to saving lives. [6:35] How was Blake’s first conversation with someone in public safety and law enforcement to start exploring how technology can be used in that field? [10:36] What was Blake’s next step after having the prototype? [14:03] Blake shares about the second time he tried his prototypes and how he started to be on-call to work along with the busiest SWAT teams. [16:29] Blake talks about the first incident that he went on. [18:27] Blake shares the most exciting of his first times working with the SWAT team. [24:47] Blake shares how a partnership was developed between the SWAT team and himself. [25:29] What happens now about the continuous evolution of BRINC Drones? [27:40] Blake talks about how BRINC Drones are progressing. [29:55] Blake is making drones to be as easy as possible to use. [31:35] BRINC Drones has an extremely close relationship with customers in order to know the improvements that need to take place. [33:00] BRINC Drones is a US company on a Chinese dominated market. [33:49] It is a drone, it is a camera and it is a phone! [35:32] Listening is just as important as seeing when using drones. [38:26] Blake talks about his team, which he is greatly proud of. [40:20] What is next for BRINC Drones? [42:12] Blake talks about DJI M300. [43:44] Blake speaks about his contribution in the incident where a Surfside condominium collapsed in Miami. [51:08] Blake shares why the mission on the Surfside condominium collapse was special to him. [51:47] How was that experience for the pilots? [53:23] Blake talks about the idea of building a BRINC response team. [54:33] Blake talks to the safety public agencies that are thinking of buying BRINC drones. [57:10] BRINC drones are the only ones that have a glass breaking capability.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events  

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes Rick Smith to today’s episode. He’s a retired Police Sergeant from the Antioch Police Department, who has helped them start their own drone program and has been widely involved in implementing Drone Programs on the West Coast and the rest of the country. In today’s episode, Rick expands on the amazing benefits of including drones in public safety operations, giving great examples of how they improved the efficacy and safety of the Antioch Police Department’s missions.   Key Takeaways: [1:22] Rick shares how he got into the career of Law Enforcement. [2:54] How did Rick get involved with drones in the Antioch Police Department? [4:21] What was the a-ha moment for the department? [5:21] What were the steps that Rick went through to open his program beyond what the original response was? [8:13] Rick shares on Alarm Calls about in-progress crimes where drones were involved. [9:47] Rick shares an example. [11:03] Charles shares three aspects in which drones are important: ensuring safety (of the responder and the citizens), improving operational effectiveness, and giving real-time situational awareness. [13:40] Drones help to de-escalate situations. [14:07] Rick shares another example. [15:16] Has Rick ever had a situation when the suspect realizes a drone is following and gives up as a result? [16:51] Rick talks about the benefits of live streaming. [19:24] Rick shares insight on flight by sharing the details of an operation. [22:19] What drones does Rick fly insight? [26:19] What do they use as a streaming solution at the Antioch Police Department? [29:58] Rick talks about how people from other departments start to reach out to him. [30:34] Rick speaks about his work training other disciplines. [33:08] Different disciplines are working and cooperating to develop Drone Programs. [37:50] Rick spends time every day returning messages from people all over the West Coast. [39:09] What are the steps to move forward and introduce a Drone Program in the right way? [40:50] Rick shares valuable advice for anyone starting a Drone Program. [46:08] Rick shares the most important takeaway from his years involved in Drone Programs.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events   Learn more about Rick’s work at the Antioch Police Department

Charles Werner, your host, is pleased to welcome John Beal from the Law Enforcement Drone Association. John talks about his professional career and his immersion in the world of drones in the field of law enforcement. Listen to this episode to hear everything about the work the Law Enforcement Drone Association is doing and their promising plans for the near future.   Key Takeaways: [1:03] John shares his professional journey. [2:36] What led John to his interest in unmanned aircraft systems? [5:04] John talks about how they assessed the issue of privacy. [8:10] What did the general force think about the idea of introducing drones in their operations? [10:09] Has the perspective on drones changed today? [11:45] Drones have become a game-changer. [13:02] Charles talks about the three functions drones have: enhancing safety, improving operational effectiveness, and getting real-time situational awareness. [13:34] John talks about streaming. [14:11] John shares an example of a hostage situation. [15:50] John talks about indoor flights. [17:45] John expands on the process of using the Tactical Visual Line of Sight. [19:54] What drew John to develop The Law Enforcement Drone Association? [24:50] What about other public safety agencies that might have law enforcement duties, do they fit into the LEDA? [27:02] In their meetings does John address the issue of how to be able to provide several services beyond the LEDA discipline? [29:18] John shares his thoughts about the future of drones in law enforcement. [33:28] What does John want to see in the upcoming drone technology? [37:05] John talks about how LEDA memberships work.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events   Law Enforcement Drone Association If you have any questions contact LEDA at [email protected]   Get your agency on the map by sending an email to [email protected]  

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes you to another episode of Drone Responders. In today’s episode, Charles is accompanied by Captain Michael Leo from FDNY Robotics who shares the journey of the New York City Fire Department drone program, he openly shares examples and experiences from the moment they started to where they are now and what is projected for the future.   Key Takeaways: [1:38] Captain Michael shares how their drone program started. [4:11] Captain Michael talks about a special technical device he has. [5:10] What was the a-ha moment within the New York City Fire Department in regards to drones? [7:35] Captain Michael shares how they started with staff and what the transition was like until today. [11:25] What was the reception within the New York City Fire Department at the beginning? [13:32] Even though it is difficult to share videos about fire sites, they have begun to do it internally at the NYC Fire Department since it is a great tool for training. [15:07] Captain Michael shares how they have been responding to alarms. [18:42] Captain Michael talks about how they are benefiting from more flying opportunities for their remote pilots. [19:36] Captain Michael shares about the collaboration with other fire departments. [21:57] What is the NYC Fire Department sharing with other major cities’ departments? [23:32] Captain Michael shares how helpful the FAA has been for the NYC Fire Department. [24:19] What is Captain Michael’s experience with the SOSC (System Operations Support Center)? [26:09] NYC Fire Department doesn’t have a Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight Waiver yet. [27:15] What is next on the horizon for the NYC Fire Department? [29:27] What advice would Captain Michael give to other major cities? [33:20] Is there something that can be worked on along with FDNY Robotics to create an overview of how a drone program helps major cities? [35:20] Captain Michael shares an example of how drones make a huge difference when working at a scene that is filled with smoke. [37:53] What are the questions that Captain Michael is hearing about the drone program? [39:45] Captain Michael talks about indoor flights. [41:21] How is Captain Michael handling streaming? Are they sharing the material with other agencies? [44:13] Captain Michael shares his advice to other departments thinking of starting a drone program. [47:23] Sharing information among programs is very helpful. [49:05] Creating a drone program brings so much worth to any operation. [50:10] Perseverance is the key, it is not always an easy road but it is certainly worth it.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes representatives from TVU Networks to discuss tactical streaming for drones during public safety operations. Fred Poole, Director of Government Markets for TVU Networks, and Matthew McEwen, Vice President of Product Management also at TVU, are accompanying Charles to today’s episode to share their knowledge about streaming and the different solutions that are currently available in the market.   Key Takeaways: [1:14] Fred Poole introduces himself and talks about his professional journey. [2:02] Matt McEwen talks about his career path. [2:56] Fred talks about how public safety is approaching tactical streaming and the different solutions available. [4:56] Matthew shares about streaming and its application to drones. [6:48] Fred shares an exemplifying experience. [8:18] Fred provides examples of specific incidents related to public safety. [10:15] Matthew provides examples pertaining to firesites. [12:40] Why have Fred and Matthew been chosen to do their jobs? They give an answer while explaining the coincidences between media (sporting events and news) and public safety. [18:22] What makes this more of a tactical streaming compared to a typical streaming? [19:30] Reliability over latency. [20:25] Matthew explains their unique technology called aggravation to achieve carrier diversity. [25:42] How do you know that your streams are going out? [26:20] What is it like to set up TVU Networks in the field? [27:59] Fred and Matthew dive deep into streaming and how it actually works. [29:58] The user can decide if they want the streaming encrypted or not. [31:04] 15 years in the broadcast space gives TVU Networks their unique skills. [32:10] Are consumers pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to use TVU networks? [32:55] It is easy to expand the system since everything is uploaded to a cloud.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events   TVU Networks

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes Romeo Durscher to today’s episode. He is the first recipient of the Public Safety Drone Leadership Award. Romeo is one of the drone industry’s top executives and a highly experienced leader in aerospace and unmanned aerial systems. Romeo joined Auterion from DJI, where he held the role of Senior Director of Public Safety Integration. During Romeo’s six years at DJI he built the Public Safety vertical and through his leadership and drive to bring new technologies to emergency services, he has become a well-known and respected thought leader in the space. Prior to joining DJI, Romeo spent twelve years working on NASA’s Heliophysics Mission Solar Dynamics Observatory at Stanford University. Romeo was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in the Drone Industry by the Commercial UAV organization and one of 7 visionaries in Public Safety. In this episode, Charles and Romeo take a forward look at where things are heading in the drone industry and they discuss Romeo’s role in the future of public safety in drones. Key Takeaways: [2:30] The silver lining brought by COVID-19. [3:41] Romeo talks about his current role. [6:30] Romeo shares his experiences once being out from under the DJI umbrella. [6:50] Romeo talks about the use of multiple platforms. [8:40] A true end-to-end data integration. [10:08] Where is the signal from the drone going with this new technology? [12:01] Romeo explains how a drone’s workflow can be streamlined. [12:42] Romeo explains how the security aspect is assed. [14:35] Romeo shares about the exciting advancement of having an open standard that works in all different aircraft. [17:00] All the data collected internally by the aircraft can be checked to ease predictive maintenance. [19:49] Are payloads applicable in this scenario? [23:10] There is a whole new opportunity to help ease integration among platforms, but it will require an investment in education. [25:46] Redefining how drones are deployed. [27:30] Romeo talks about the necessary steps to move forward into this new mindset and technology. [30:01] Changing the way we utilize drones in an incident. [31:09] Romeo emphasizes the important role that technology can play in facilitating teamwork. [33:45] Romeo gives an example of how the workflow would look like in a specific scenario. [37:32] Romeo explains why the SD card is not a good solution for public safety. [38:24] What has been the reception like from drone manufacturers? [40:46] The future holds a much wider diversity of choices in the drone field. [41:50] Romeo shares how the tremendous amount of crossovers are influencing the evolution of drone technology. [43:55] Another benefit of the open-source community is the possibility to respond to any particular need that might arise in the market. [46:26] Manufacturers have shown a great interest in the solutions Romeo and his team have been working on. [48:03] Romeo talks about his point of view in regards to the involvement of DJI in these new technologies. [49:14] Romeo shares what he predicts will happen in the drone industry in 2021.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events  

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes you to a new edition of the DRONE RESPONDERS podcast series. In today’s episode, he is accompanied by Lee Newman and Simon Stretch who share their experience using drones for good at the London Fire Brigade. Lee Newman is a Station Officer in the London Fire Brigade and has served 22 years in an operational role. Lee is currently based at the brigade headquarters working in the Operational Assurance and Policy Team. Lee became project manager for the drone trials in 2017 after seeing drone technology being used at Grenfell by the Kent Fire Brigade. He assumed the role of Drone Project Lead for the London Fire Brigade and is now responsible for its growth and expansion. Lee has used the LFB drones on hundreds of occasions to survey fire incidents alongside showcasing the technology and its capability across the London Fire brigade. Lee is also looking into how 4D mapping of buildings and AR and VR can be used to train new firefighters. Simon Stretch has been a serving firefighter for the past 20 years. Simon is also a CAA qualified drone pilot, currently based at the London Fire Brigades HQ in South London. Simon co-leads the newly established drone team and has been integral in mobilizing and establishing drone operators with the London Fire Brigade. Simon’s passion for drones started out when he was a young boy and a family business sparked his interest in helicopters. He obtained his own drone in 2010 and has since helped the LFB establish their governance and expand their drone fleet across the London Fire Brigade.   Key Takeaways: [1:13] Lee shares how he started into drones. [2:10] Simon Stretch talks about how he became involved with drones. [2:44] Simon shares how drones intervened in a terrible fire situation. [5:08] How was the reception of drones at the London Fire Brigade? [7:52] What are regulations like in the UK in regards to flying a drone in emergency situations? [9:03] What is the Emergency Service Exemption about in the UK? [10:40] Simon and Lee talk about the type of aircraft they are currently using. [13:01] Simon and Lee talk about the drones they use most frequently. [15:30] Simon and Lee share about the initial challenges they encountered while starting the program. [18:09] Simon and Lee talk about specific incidents where drones made a difference with their intervention. [22:40] Using drones for HAZMAT incidents in the UK. [24:38] Simon and Lee talk about indoor flights. [26:26] What are the potential benefits of using artificial intelligence? [29:08] Swarm technology in the UK. [29:51] Simon and Lee talk about the situation in regards to drones as first responders in the UK. [31:40] COVID 19 has opened the eyes of the general public about the benefits of using drones. [33:05] Simon and Lee share the projections for the immediate future for drones in the UK. [35:37] The benefits of 3D mapping. [36:56] LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors and the benefits for mapping. [38:15] Lees and Simon talk to other departments that are not yet using drones in their programs.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team Presented by AiRXOS, part of GE Aviation with additional support from FIRSTiZ and Pix4D AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events London Fire Brigade

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes Katie Thielmeyer and Susan Minne to today’s episode. Katie and Susan have been involved in the world of public safety for several years as two of the pioneers in the field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. They share in this episode how they started in this field, the challenges and opportunities they encountered, their most memorable experiences, and what they see in the future for drones working for the well being of communities all over the USA. Katie and Susan also talk about their efforts and undivided commitment to public safety and encourage other women to dive into the field of unmanned aircraft systems.   Key Takeaways: [1:22] Katie shares about her background and how she got involved in the world of unmanned aircraft systems. [3:27] Susan talks about her current role and how she got there. [5:26] Katie shares how she got involved with NIST. [9:03] Katie talks about the challenges the test line presents even to experienced drone pilots. [11:16] Virtual reality as the first step before flying a drone. [12:11] Susan talks about her involvement in the Texas Department of Public Safety. [13:54] Susan shares her thoughts about the different programs currently available. [15:37] Susan talks about some of her most memorable experiences with the public safety unmanned aircraft systems. [17:45] Katie shares how she transitioned to the role she has today. [19:03] Katie shares her most memorable experience with unmanned aircraft systems. [23:01] Katie shares an experience in a HAZMAT scene. [24:30] How is the training going across disciplines? [25:06] Susan talks about the shift in community acceptance and engagement with drones. [26:55] When you are flying a drone you are a role model 100% of the time. [27:24] Katie talks about the challenges she encountered when she started getting involved with drones. [32:01] Susan shares her experience being a woman in the public safety environment. [33:50] Katie shares how it feels to be a leader in the unmanned aircraft systems. [36:35] Susan describes how her teenage daughters perceive her work in Public Safety. [37:39] Susan and Katie share their vision for the future of unmanned aircraft systems. [42:41] Katie talks about the Tactical Waiver. [43:42] Susan shares how the Tactical Waiver is working in Texas. [44:33] Katie shares her knowledge about indoor training. [46:17] Katie and Susan talk to other women that haven't yet heard about drones.   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team Presented by AiRXOS, part of GE Aviation with additional support from FIRSTiZ and Pix4D AIRT is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good and Public Safety UAS Become a member of Drone Responders for free. AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS 2020 Drones in Public Safety Survey Drone Responders Events

Charles Werner, your host, welcomes Romeo Durscher and Christopher Todd to talk about the history of drones in public safety and emergency management, specially now that Romeo has decided to retire from his role at DJI after an amazing contribution to the field of drones. Charles, Chris, and Romeo talk thoughtfully about the opportunities, possibilities, and challenges in the implementation and use of unmanned aircraft systems for disaster response. Chris Todd is the founder and president of Airborne Response, he also serves as the executive director of the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT®). Romeo Durscher is the Former Senior Director of Public Safety Integration at DJI. He was born and raised in Switzerland, Romeo moved to San Jose, CA to work on a NASA space mission. After almost 13 years of working on NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, doing project management, education and public outreach, and social media, Romeo spent 6 years at DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer. At DJI he built the Public Safety vertical and through his leadership and drive to bring new technologies to emergency services, he has become a leader in UAS integration, deployment, and future solution design. Romeo was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in the Drone Industry by the Commercial UAV organization and one of 7 visionaries in Public Safety. He is a published author and aerial photographer, known science outreach and educator, social media leader, and conference keynote speaker.   Key Takeaways: [1:33] Romeo announces it was his last day at DJI. [2:47] Romeo explains how he transitioned into public safety [9:27] Romeo explains how he got the vision about the potential of drones back in 2011. [10:20] Romeo shares how he left his work at NASA to dedicate his career to drones. [13:24] Romeo talks about his first connection to the fire service public safety. [17:53] Realizing there was a market for drones. [18:56] Romeo talks about the first fire department in testing drones for public safety. [23:21] More people became interested in drones as they became more popular and commercially publicized. [25:45] Figuring out how drones can contribute to public safety responses. [27:20] Search and rescue and drones [30:59] Romeo talks about HAZMAT. [34:04] When does a drone in a hazmat scenario become disposable? [35:01] Romeo talks about the introduction to design changes. [38:45] The matter of budget in public safety and how it impacts the market. [41:11] Romeo explains why you should not start with a big aircraft. [42:33] Batteries can be another challenge to public safety. [44:45] There is no one drone that does it all. [46:10] Romeo shares his biggest moments with DJI in the public safety arena. [49:33] The emotional impact of attending a disaster is real. [50:58] Romeo talks about the challenge of processing the data collected through drones. [53:40] Romeo talks about drones reaching their peak of effectiveness. [56:17] What is the next thing on the horizon for drones? [1:01:10] Imagery is really important for damage assessment. [1:01:33] Romeo shares his thoughts about the promise of artificial intelligence. [1:04:09] Romeo talks about DJI’s strategies for the near future. [1:05:39] Romeo shares a moment when he saw a drone saving a life [1:07:05] The Lost Person Behavior App. [1:11:15] Romeo talks about people’s reaction to him leaving DJI. [1:13:27] Romeo was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in the Drone Industry by the Commercial UAV organization and one of 7 visionaries in Public Safety. [1:17:38] Romeo talks about how he has been preparing his successor for over three years. [1:20:30] What is next for Romeo Durscher? [1:23:01] Where does Romeo see the global public safety market going? [1:27:17] If there was one thing Romeo would like to see happening in the drone world, what would it be?   Mentioned in this episode: Airborne International Response Team