Skyfire Consulting says the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in-house unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program, developed with the help of the drone consulting company.
Skyfire Consulting says the LAFD put its trust in the four-year-old company based on Skyfire’s success with previous FAA filings in the public safety space.
The company, a division of Atlanta Drone Group Inc. offers drone equipment, public safety-focused training, FAA consulting, grant assistance, and service/repairs to help U.S. first responders develop and maintain in-house drone programs for their departments.
“Developing and implementing a UAS program is a major undertaking,” says Battalion Chief Rich Fields, the LAFD’s UAS coordinator. “It was great to have Skyfire’s expertise just a phone call away, and they made our final push very easy.”
Skyfire, run by FAA-certified pilots, many with backgrounds in public safety, says it continues to develop programs for DeKalb County Fire Rescue in Georgia, the Orange County Fire Authority in California, the Orlando Fire Department in Florida, and dozens more.
In addition to its standard, two-day “UAVs for Public Safety” training class, the company is adding five new training courses to its catalog this year. This includes basic UAS maintenance and repair, scenario-based training, seminars on the ins and outs of drone apps, thermal imaging, and accident reconstruction.
Skyfire will debut much of this new training at the second annual Skyfire Conference, taking place Feb. 28-March 2 at Canyon of the Eagles Resort and the Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet, Texas.
