By Ed Williams, Senior Vice-President and Program Manager

Drones are becoming increasingly more common for use in fire, EMS and other emergency services. Public safety is predicted to be one of the most promising fields for drone usage. From search-and-rescue operations to managing wildfire scenes, drones are being seen at some of the most dangerous and labor intensive fire and EMS operations.

Technically referred to as unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), they come in different types and sizes, different price points and different capabilities. The system refers to the platform (or aircraft), the payload (such as camera or sensor) and the ground control station. UAS is the term the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adopted. The most common types seen in the fire service are the very small fixed-wing airplane, helicopter or rotorcraft models. The UAS’s ability to reach inaccessible or dangerous areas that put human life at risk is a key advantage for fire and EMS. The situational awareness that these “eyes in the sky” provide to incident commanders may help keep firefighters and other responders from unnecessary danger.

A UAS’s ability to deliver real time, high definition, infrared video can help firefighters monitor wildfires so they can position ground forces in place where they can be most useful. UASs can be equipped with thermal optical cameras and multi-sensor navigation systems. As drones’ navigational capabilities develop, their use in search-and-rescue missions will continue to expand.

Much has been written about the potential for UASs. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) predicts an $83 billion economic impact over the next 10 years, creating 70,000 jobs. Furthermore, they anticipate 175,000 UASs in commercial use by 2035. With this type of growth, it is no wonder that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has an interest in regulating the industry. According to FAA, no UASs can be flown for business or commercial purposes without specific authorizations. Public entities can obtain such authorization via either a Certificate of Airworthiness or by Special Exemption under Section 3333 of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act.

The good news is that insurance is available through VFIS for emergency service organizations (ESOs) that hold FAA approval and for those that don’t, provided the fire or EMS service can show that they plan to operate the UAS with professionalism. It will be important for VFIS to know the capabilities of the model that is planned to be operated, the experience and training of the operator, what the UAS will be used for and the environment in which it will be operated (i.e., proximity to persons and property).

Consider establishing sound best practices before engaging in drone operations with the following questions.

Use of UAS /drone:

• What is the intended use and frequency of use of the drone? Is the indicated use consistent with the specific equipment?
• In what airspace will the drone be operating and under what legal authority? Is the flying height greater than 400 feet? Is the distance capability in or out of line of sight?
• Were the applicable state laws reviewed where the drone will be flown?
• Will drone service to others be provided?

Operator:

• Did the operator receive proper flight training for the drone?
• Does the operator have a certificate of compliance to fly the drone that is approved by the FAA?
• How many hours has the operator logged flying the drone? What proportion of logged flight hours has been accident free? Outline any prior accidents and losses.

Equipment:

• What is the make, model and manufacturer of the equipment?
• Is the manufacturer financially sound and do they provide an equipment warranty?
• Does the insured formally restrict the drone’s flight operations to only pre-approved and flight-certified company personnel?
• How many drones will be operated?
• Are regular maintenance routines performed and recorded for the drone?

Note that there is no automatic coverage for drones within the VFIS standard insurance policy. Coverage for UASs is optional and would commonly include:

• Physical damage to the UAS, any payload items and ground equipment (subject to a deductible)
• Liability to third parties; limits can be purchased above $1 million occ.
• Premises liability
• Medical expense
• Coverage for damage arising out of malicious damage

All of the above is offered by VFIS through Global Aerospace Aviation Insurance. The requirement is that a short supplemental application be completed and VFIS will work with Global Aerospace to take care of the ESO’s needs.

Unfortunately, the future of UASs is not without its challenges. Technical limitations remain, regulatory issues persist and privacy concerns, accreditation, training and best practices all need further consideration as an industry. VFIS will continue to assess the changing UAS environment in order to provide meaningful insurance products to best serve client needs.

Learn about the VFIS insurance products. 

By Ed Williams, Senior Vice-President and Program Manager

Drones are becoming increasingly more common for use in fire, EMS and other emergency services. Public safety is predicted to be one of the most promising fields for drone usage. From search-and-rescue operations to managing wildfire scenes, drones are being seen at some of the most dangerous and labor intensive fire and EMS operations.

Technically referred to as unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), they come in different types and sizes, different price points and different capabilities. The system refers to the platform (or aircraft), the payload (such as camera or sensor) and the ground control station. UAS is the term the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adopted. The most common types seen in the fire service are the very small fixed-wing airplane, helicopter or rotorcraft models. The UAS’s ability to reach inaccessible or dangerous areas that put human life at risk is a key advantage for fire and EMS. The situational awareness that these “eyes in the sky” provide to incident commanders may help keep firefighters and other responders from unnecessary danger.

A UAS’s ability to deliver real time, high definition, infrared video can help firefighters monitor wildfires so they can position ground forces in place where they can be most useful. UASs can be equipped with thermal optical cameras and multi-sensor navigation systems. As drones’ navigational capabilities develop, their use in search-and-rescue missions will continue to expand.

Much has been written about the potential for UASs. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) predicts an $83 billion economic impact over the next 10 years, creating 70,000 jobs. Furthermore, they anticipate 175,000 UASs in commercial use by 2035. With this type of growth, it is no wonder that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has an interest in regulating the industry. According to FAA, no UASs can be flown for business or commercial purposes without specific authorizations. Public entities can obtain such authorization via either a Certificate of Airworthiness or by Special Exemption under Section 3333 of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act.

The good news is that insurance is available through VFIS for emergency service organizations (ESOs) that hold FAA approval and for those that don’t, provided the fire or EMS service can show that they plan to operate the UAS with professionalism. It will be important for VFIS to know the capabilities of the model that is planned to be operated, the experience and training of the operator, what the UAS will be used for and the environment in which it will be operated (i.e., proximity to persons and property).

Consider establishing sound best practices before engaging in drone operations with the following questions.

Use of UAS /drone:

• What is the intended use and frequency of use of the drone? Is the indicated use consistent with the specific equipment?
• In what airspace will the drone be operating and under what legal authority? Is the flying height greater than 400 feet? Is the distance capability in or out of line of sight?
• Were the applicable state laws reviewed where the drone will be flown?
• Will drone service to others be provided?

Operator:

• Did the operator receive proper flight training for the drone?
• Does the operator have a certificate of compliance to fly the drone that is approved by the FAA?
• How many hours has the operator logged flying the drone? What proportion of logged flight hours has been accident free? Outline any prior accidents and losses.

Equipment:

• What is the make, model and manufacturer of the equipment?
• Is the manufacturer financially sound and do they provide an equipment warranty?
• Does the insured formally restrict the drone’s flight operations to only pre-approved and flight-certified company personnel?
• How many drones will be operated?
• Are regular maintenance routines performed and recorded for the drone?

Note that there is no automatic coverage for drones within the VFIS standard insurance policy. Coverage for UASs is optional and would commonly include:

• Physical damage to the UAS, any payload items and ground equipment (subject to a deductible)
• Liability to third parties; limits can be purchased above $1 million occ.
• Premises liability
• Medical expense
• Coverage for damage arising out of malicious damage

All of the above is offered by VFIS through Global Aerospace Aviation Insurance. The requirement is that a short supplemental application be completed and VFIS will work with Global Aerospace to take care of the ESO’s needs.

Unfortunately, the future of UASs is not without its challenges. Technical limitations remain, regulatory issues persist and privacy concerns, accreditation, training and best practices all need further consideration as an industry. VFIS will continue to assess the changing UAS environment in order to provide meaningful insurance products to best serve client needs.

Learn about the VFIS insurance products.