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Tag: skyfire consulting

  • Skyfire Consulting Tapped by San Diego IPP for FAA Airspace Experience

    Skyfire Consulting Tapped by San Diego IPP for FAA Airspace Experience

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    Press Release
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    updated: Nov 6, 2018


    ATLANTA, November 6, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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    Skyfire Consulting has been selected by the San Diego Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (IPP) to join the team of experts working on the project.

    ​Skyfire Consulting, an Atlanta-based UAS consultancy, was specifically tapped for their extensive experience with FAA regulations related to public safety UAS use. Skyfire Consulting has already worked to obtain the first two certificates of authorization (COAs) for the Chula Vista Police Department, one of the constituent organizations in the San Diego IPP.

    Skyfire Consulting is honored to be a part of this ground-breaking program. We look forward to helping Chula Vista Police, and the greater San Diego program chart a course for the future of this important industry.

    Matt Sloane, CEO, Skyfire Consulting

    The San Diego program, selected by the FAA as one of only ten pilot projects around the country, will test new UAS hardware, software, and operational concepts in the use of unmanned systems in public safety operations. Specifically, the San Diego IPP is focused on testing the use of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights in public safety, in preparation for autonomous deployment of UAS in emergency situations.

    Skyfire Consulting is actively working with the FAA to approve BVLOS on the IPP team’s behalf.

    “We believe technology like this will help us respond to calls more quickly; and give officers important information they need to resolve calls safely,” said Chief Roxana Kennedy from Chula Vista Police Department.

    “We are thrilled to have Skyfire Consulting’s expertise on this project to help navigate the FAA’s many guidelines around the safe use of UAS in public safety,” she added.

    “Skyfire Consulting is honored to be a part of this ground-breaking program,” said Matt Sloane, the company’s founder and CEO. “We look forward to helping Chula Vista Police, and the greater San Diego program chart a course for the future of this important industry.”

    The IPP program will last for a period of three years with a goal of advancing UAS technology, and testing the safety of programs that wish to operate beyond current FAA guidelines for drone use.

    Skyfire Consulting is the country’s leading provider of public safety drone solutions. Founded by public safety professionals and aviation experts, they provide drone equipment, on-site training, FAA consultation services, standard operating procedure development, service and repairs to more than 150 agencies nationwide. For more information, go to SkyfireConsulting.com.

    Source: Skyfire Consulting

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  • Drones Saving More Lives, Being Adopted by More Public Safety Agencies, Reports Skyfire Consulting

    Drones Saving More Lives, Being Adopted by More Public Safety Agencies, Reports Skyfire Consulting

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    Press Release
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    updated: Jul 11, 2018


    ATLANTA, July 11, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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    ​Small unmanned aerial vehicles, colloquially known as drones, are being adopted by more public safety agencies around the world than ever before; and the number of lives they’re saving is climbing dramatically.

    On one recent day, four people were saved by drones, in three separate incidents around the world.

    We are seeing more and more life-saving stories coming out of these agencies. This technology can no longer be written off as a ‘toy’ or a plaything. It’s a front-line tool in public safety, and it’s already saving lives.

    Matt Sloane, CEO, Skyfire Consulting

    Drone manufacturer DJI calls it a “marked new milestone in public safety drone use,” in a press release issued last month.

    On May 31st, Wayne Township Fire Department in Indiana used a drone to drop a life jacket to a fleeing suspect, who had gotten himself into a near drowning situation in a lake.

    On that same day, officials in a Texas town near Dallas dropped life jackets to a mother and daughter who found themselves in rising floodwater; and police in the UK used a drone with a thermal imaging camera to find a stranded hiker on a dangerous cliff.

    “We are seeing more and more life-saving stories coming out of these agencies,” says Matt Sloane, CEO of Skyfire Consulting, a group who works with public safety agencies to adopt drone programs.

    “This technology can no longer be written off as a ‘toy’ or a plaything. It’s a front-line tool in public safety, and it’s already saving lives.”

    For many agencies, including the Wayne Township Fire Department, the technology has been a game-changer.

    “In my 32 years working in Public Safety the UAV is one of the most exciting tools to come along that improves first responder safety and efficiency,” said Captain Mike Pruitt, Wayne Township’s UAV program manager. “The possibilities of what we can do with these aircraft are endless.”

    Pruitt, who worked with Skyfire to start his drone program, says he’s flying the departments’ aircraft several times a week in his area, and in other parts of Indiana where he’s called to assist.

    They even flew last week in heavy downpours with DJI’s Matrice 210 aircraft, a water-resistant drone.

    More than 900 public safety agencies around the country are flying drones, according to a recent Bard College study, up 200% from last year’s report, but this is only the tip of the drone iceberg, says Sloane.

    “There are over 100-thousand public agencies in the US,” he says. “Early adopters like Wayne Township are showing the other 99-thousand agencies out there that this technology can be implemented safely, effectively, and will truly save lives.”

    Skyfire has worked with over 120 of those 900 agencies, including the Los Angeles Fire Department, Orlando Fire Department, Miami-Dade Fire, and most recently, Houston Fire.

    “Big and small, our clients are taking their response capabilities to the next level, and I don’t see this trend slowing down anytime soon,” Sloane says.

    Skyfire will be holding a public safety UAV symposium with Memorial Villages Police Department and Houston Fire Department July 30th and 31st in the Houston Area.

    For more information on Skyfire Consulting, or to start your own program, visit SkyfireConsulting.com.

    Skyfire Consulting is the nation’s premier public safety UAV consulting company, specializing in drone sales, pilot training, FAA consulting, SOP development and service and repairs for public safety agencies around the country. Skyfire is a division of Atlanta Drone Group, Inc., and is headquartered in Decatur, Georgia.

    Source: Skyfire Consulting

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  • Live Fire, Car Accidents, and a Search for Lost Hikers on Tap for Skyfire Consulting’s Second Drone Conference

    Live Fire, Car Accidents, and a Search for Lost Hikers on Tap for Skyfire Consulting’s Second Drone Conference

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    Press Release
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    updated: Feb 19, 2018


    BURNET, Texas, February 19, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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    The second annual Skyfire Conference for public safety drone operators will be kicking off in Burnet, Texas on February 28, 2018.

    The conference, focused on training firefighters, law enforcement officers and other first responders to use drone technology, is turning up the heat for its second year, doing a live-fire burn to demonstrate best practices for fire response.

    Small drones have become a critical tool for first responders. Their safe and professional operation can help save lives and protect property. Training and collaboration is the key and I look forward to attending the Skyfire training conference both to speak and to learn from colleagues.

    Tim Herlocker, Senior Adviser for Hoverfly Technologies

    “We are lucky enough to be hosting the conference at Reveille Peak Ranch this year,” said Matt Sloane, CEO of Skyfire Consulting. “This 1300-acre property allows us to do things we can’t do in an urban or suburban setting – like burning a structure down.”

    In addition to the live-burn, responders will train on simulated accident scenes, using drones to map out the area for evidentiary purposes and conduct search and rescue scenarios to find lost hikers.

    “These tools can be used in so many different ways,” said Sloane. “This is a chance for the people using the technology to practice all of it in one place.

    Many new technologies will be on display, including some from Verizon, who will be on-site to debut the newest addition to its response fleet called Response Innovation. 

    “This technology enables an agency to expand its response fleet with highly specialized capabilities – off-road vehicles that can deliver emergency communications, autonomous vehicles that deliver medical supplies, and a 4D visualization software that provides a common operating picture between private sector and government agencies,” said Vol Montgomery, Reveille Peak’s owner, who will be hosting the Verizon team.

    The conference will also feature classroom sessions, including a presentation from Tim Herlocker, former director of the emergency operations center for FDNY, and the man responsible for the department’s drone program.

    “Small drones have become a critical tool for first responders,” said Herlocker. “Their safe and professional operation can help save lives and protect property. Training and collaboration is the key and I look forward to attending the Skyfire training conference both to speak and to learn from colleagues.”

    Herlocker, now a senior adviser for Hoverfly Technologies, will also sit on a panel with Rob Topping, Hoverfly’s CEO, and Mr. Sloane to discuss how tethered drones are being used successfully in places like New York City for emergency response.

    Additional speakers include Coitt Kessler, program manager for the Austin Fire Department’s Robotic Emergency Deployment (RED) Team, who will discuss drone use during Hurricane Harvey; Gene Robinson and John Buell from DronePilot, who will share best practices from their decades of search and rescue experience; and Jon Wickersham, the emergency response program manager for Colonial Pipeline, talking about how drones are used to help industry and first responders deal with pipeline emergencies.

    Rounding out the presenters is Trooper Michael Darrow from Michigan State Police’s aviation wing, who will share his vast experience with large-scale accident scene mapping using UAVs; along with several other responders who use this technology regularly sharing their success stories.

    Members of public safety agencies, educational institutions, search and rescue groups and commercial drone operators are invited to register for the conference by going to SkyfireConference.com. 

    Skyfire Consulting, a division of Atlanta Drone Group, Inc., offers drone equipment, public safety-focused training, FAA consulting, grant assistance and service/repairs to help the country’s first responders develop and maintain in-house drone programs for their departments.

    Atlanta Drone Group offers industry-leading drone services, including film and television aerial production, survey-grade mapping and emergency response aerial services.

    Drone Pilot Inc. was founded in 2014 to assist Public Safety agencies with standing up unmanned aerial programs, conducting UA Public Safety Operations with our active and retired public safety/military flight teams. The DPI Eyes Overhead© UA Public Safety Training and Certification Program was built from experience. We have accurate information for public safety agencies looking for help with policies, laws, regulations, FAA/COA authority, deployment, and counter drone programs.

    Source: Skyfire Consulting

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  • Skyfire Consulting Gains FAA’s Sign-Off on Los Angeles Fire Department’s UAV Program, Announces 2018 Initiatives

    Skyfire Consulting Gains FAA’s Sign-Off on Los Angeles Fire Department’s UAV Program, Announces 2018 Initiatives

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Jan 25, 2018


    ATLANTA, GA, January 25, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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    ​Skyfire Consulting, the country’s premier public safety-focused drone company, kicked off 2018 by gaining the FAA’s sign-off on the Los Angeles Fire Department’s in-house UAV program. LAFD, one of the nation’s busiest fire/rescue agencies, put their trust in the four-year-old consulting company, based on their proven track record of success with FAA filings in the public safety space.

    “Developing and implementing a UAS program is a major undertaking,” said Battalion Chief Rich Fields, the departments’ UAS coordinator. “It was great to have Skyfire’s expertise just a phone call away, and they made our final push very easy.”

    Developing and implementing a UAS program is a major undertaking. It was great to have Skyfire’s expertise just a phone call away, and they made our final push very easy.

    Rich Fields, Battalion Chief, LAFD

    These successes in mind, Skyfire, run by FAA-certified pilots, many with backgrounds in public safety, continues to develop programs for DeKalb County Fire Rescue, the State of Georgia’s busiest service, as well as Orange County California Fire Authority, Orlando Fire Department, and dozens more.

    In addition to their standard, two-day UAVs for Public Safety training class, 2018 will bring five new training courses to Skyfire’s industry-leading catalog. These courses include Basic UAV Maintenance and Repair, in-depth scenario-based training, focused seminars on the ins and outs of UAV 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.

    The conference offers both the two-day drone basics class for agencies who need initial training, and an intensive three-day, scenario-based training class, centered around live fire burns, accident reconstruction scenarios, and search and rescue missions.

    Continuing to build on the successes of Skyfire’s partnership with public safety industry titan W.S. Darley & Co., Skyfire’s UAV services will be offered in collaboration with Darley’s extensive line-up of public safety equipment at many upcoming industry events.

    Representatives from Skyfire will be exhibiting at the FDIC International, April 26 – 28 in Indianapolis, Indiana; at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, July 23 – 29 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Fire-Rescue International, Aug. 8 – 11 in Dallas, Texas; and at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Oct. 6 – 9 in Orlando, Florida.

    For more information on Skyfire Consulting’s public safety offerings, or to schedule an interview with Skyfire CEO Matt Sloane, visit SkyfireConsulting.com, or call 404-220-7783.

    Skyfire Consulting is a division of Atlanta Drone Group, Inc. Skyfire Consulting offers drone equipment, public safety-focused training, FAA consulting, grant assistance and service/repairs to help the country’s first responders develop and maintain in-house drone programs for their departments.

    Atlanta Drone Group offers industry-leading drone services, including film and television aerial production, survey-grade mapping and emergency response aerial services.

    Source: Skyfire Consulting

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