If you’re lost, do you care what finds you?
Debating the use of drones in Search and Rescue.
In early April, First Responders and drone experts gathered at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) for a symposium on drones as tools for Search and Rescue.
Drones fall under the F.A.A classification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS’s). Legislators at the state and federal level are currently grappling with how to regulate recreational and government use of the new technology, which appears to be evolving faster than they can write new rules.
The event was hosted by the Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center (NAASIC) from UNR, which is promoting drone use in Search and Rescue as a way of mitigating the risk posed to searchers. A recent incident on Carson Peak, in which an individual was caught in an avalanche, has prompted further discussion of whether or not drones could be especially useful in winter search and rescue.
