House Bill 17-1070, concerning the study of the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for public safety applications, became law on June 6, 2017. The act stated that:
“...UPON RECEIVING SUFFICIENT MONEY IN THE FORM OF GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS, THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE SHALL CONDUCT A STUDY CONCERNING THE INTEGRATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WITHIN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS THAT RELATE TO CERTAIN PUBLIC-SAFETY FUNCTIONS.”
Since no new funding was provided in the act, the study was to begin when the CoE secured sufficient funds through gifts, grants, and donations. The CoE publicized this study, contacted manufacturers, investigated grant opportunities, and set up mechanisms to accept monetary and in-kind donations. As of January 2019, the CoE has not received funding of the level required to formally conduct such a study. In addition, the use of UAS in public safety has materially progressed. The CoE has been directly involved in those efforts as discussed below. At this time, the CoE does not believe a formal study such as that proposed by HB 17-1070 is required or likely to be viewed as a good investment. Consequently, the CoE is no longer pursuing a formal study and report as outlined in HB 17-1070.
However, the fact that the formal study proposed by HB 17-1070 will not proceed does not mean that the CoE has not studied, developed, and supported integration of UAS into public safety operations. On the contrary, the CoE has conducted significant study and development supporting UAS operations in public safety and will continue to do so. However, that work is embodied in smaller, more focused research and development.
Some examples of the work the CoE has performed include the following (not exhaustive):
- Tested and evaluated small UAS hardware and associated software to develop best practices and recommendations for agencies utilizing UAS
- Developed sUAS Standard Operating Guidelines for Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) sUAS operations
- Developed a pilot training and certification program for CDPS pilots, including federal certifications and a focused skills test (UAS Flight Qualification Test) for CDPS pilots
- Conducted test operations on wildland fires to evaluate effectiveness of UAS operations
- Supported State and local public safety agencies in operation response
- Performed significant outreach and training of State and local agencies, supporting those agencies in effectively starting UAS programs that meet needs in a cost-effective manner
- Performed specific testing aimed at determining the level of investment required for a particular mission
- Identified effective third-party training and services that can be utilized (while the CoE does not recommend particular partners, we do review and audit programs so as to be able to speak in an informed manner and also to represent public safety in third-party forums)
The CoE continues to invest in this area:
- Working with State and national training and certification agencies such as NFPA, NIST, and NWCG to help direct training and certification in a direction that supports sUAS use by public safety entities in Colorado
- Continuing testing and researching new uses for UAS and ground-based robotics
- Creating and maintaining a flight tracking website for CDPS UAS operators
- Creating and maintaining an online testing facility to proctor and document UAS flight qualification testing
For more information on the CoE involvement in UAS and other unmanned technologies, contact Garrett Seddon, CoE Unmanned Systems Projects Manager.