The LAFD Path To Noteworthy Use of UAS/Drones

“We already have a group of firefighters FAA-certified to fly drones, and soon drones will be helping with structure and brush fires, and with accidents, water rescues, and a lot more. The L.A. drone program is going to be one of the biggest in the world.” – Derrick Ward, Los Angeles City Fire Department June 2017

April 8, 2016: Los Angeles City Council approved a motion asking the LAFD to study the feasibility of an Unmanned Aerial System program (UAS).

June 17, 2017 : The Board of Fire Commissioners approved an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) June 6-14, 2017, report submitted by the Los Angeles Fire Department “aimed at increasing firefighter safety” also included with the proposal was a 30 page draft of an operations manual. “We already have a group of firefighters FAA-certified to fly drones, and soon drones will be helping with structure and brush fires, and with accidents, water rescues, and a lot more. The L.A. drone program is going to be one of the biggest in the world.” – Derrick Ward, Los Angeles City Fire Department June 2017 Moving Towards Unmanned Aerial Systems to Increase Firefighter Safety | Los Angeles Fire Department (lafd.org)

The report included these important parameters:

• The UAS will not be used to monitor or provide surveillance for law enforcement purposes.
• The Department UAS will only be operated by trained, certified and licensed members in both operational and observational capacities.
• Department UAS operators must be federally and locally certified.
• UAS operations will be focused on protecting firefighters and those the Department serves either through training or at active incidents.

June 20, 2017: The LA City Council Public Safety Committee submitted to the LA City Council a request to approve the LAFD report “allowing the LAFD to apply for participation in the process to obtain a certificate of authorization to operate UAS as part of its initial action hazard mitigation and response matrix; and, formalizing operations within the LAFD to ensure full functionality and operational effectiveness relative to UAS.”

It should be noted “Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.”

August 23 2017: LAFD UAS policy. lafdlafdreport1864114659_09052017.pdf (lacity.org)

Dec 24, 2017: First official LAFD UAS incident-based flight during the Skirball Fire. The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation provided a grant to LAFD to purchase four drones.

2 - DJI Matrice 100s

2 - DJI Phantom 4 Pros.

1 - Matrice 100 is equipped with a HD camera for area survey

1 -Matrice 100 equipped with Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) to assess hotspots.

April 2018 - LAFD purchases seven additional drones from DJI of China. "At the time, the Chinese drone manufacturer and imaging technology developer announced an agreement to test and deploy DJI drones as an emergency response preparedness tool. The company called it one DJI’s largest partnerships with a fire-fighting agency in the U.S."

DJI and LAFD Collaborate to Bring Drones in Firefighting Mainstream- It's Time - DRONELIFE

LAFD Deploys Drones for More Effective Air Operations (dji.com)

November 2019 The Los Angeles Fire Department wants more drones | TechCrunch

LAFD showreel submission to Southern California Drone Festival.  Facebook

Related article:

More News from Los Angeles

• The Hyacinth Fellowship Hyacinth Fellowship founder Maryann Jacobi Gray passed a year ago, April 2023, but the impact of her story and structure of her organization continues to heal and help.
• Unlocking Global Opportunities: It’s Never Too Late to Learn to Export 10am Friday May 3rd Cinde Dolphin owner of KILI Medical Drain Carrier & 2024 Small Business Exporter of the Year for the Central California region will speak in Canoga Park