In the last few years, first responders have been examining the potential use for drones in disaster scenarios. A March Galllup poll found that 66 percent of first responders believed drones would be useful in emergency response. Still, many are worried about the reliability of unmanned technologies and the effect it would have on first responder jobs. A report by Homeland Security Today stated that the inclusion of unmanned aircraft system technologies into the public market is expected to create 100,000 jobs by 2025 and generate about $82 billion in revenue.
Local emergency response crews in Leonardtown, Maryland, hope to encourage the hesitant 34 percent to embrace the UAS trend on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at their first drone symposium. St. Mary's County Government and St. Mary's County Public Schools will play host to the First Responders Drone Symposium. During the event, local police and fire departments will enact various emergency situations to demonstrate the effectiveness of drone assistance.
The hosts of the program will stage a controlled fire in an abandoned building and a simulated police raid so that attendees of the symposium will get to see first-hand how drones would be used in each scenario. The main goal of the symposium is to help first responders understand the importance of UAS technologies and get comfortable with the idea of using them.