Hamilton County Unmanned Aerial Systems Team Hosts UAS Training for Area First Responders

Hamilton County, TN – This past week, the Hamilton County Unmanned Aerial Systems Team, comprised of personnel from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management (HCEMA), presented an Introduction to UAS training course to local first responders and law enforcement.

The (24) hour, P.O.S.T. certified course covered a variety of drone related operations including, but not limited to the following:

• The Basics of Indoor & Outdoor Flight

• UAS maintenance

• Traffic Crash & Crime Scene Mapping

• Day/Night Searches

• Thermal Camera Use & Deployment

• Video Live Streaming

• Flight Logging & Documentation

• FAA UAS Regulations

• Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs)

• Certificates of Authorization (COA)

This week’s training course was attended by students from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency (HCEMA), Cleveland Police Department, and the Chattanooga Fire Department.

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), also commonly referred to as drones, have quickly become a vital tool for law enforcement operations and first responders. Drones are an efficient and effective way to provide law enforcement access to critical information in order to respond to calls for service, emergency situations, or to conduct criminal investigations. First responders are also finding drones useful for mapping natural disasters, search and rescue missions, and hazmat related incidents.