APD named official “host agency” for public safety drone training event offering 4 days of educational content focused on UAS program management and tactical operations
ATLANTA, GA – July 21, 2021 – The Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), the leading 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting the use of unmanned systems for public safety and disaster response – and official home of DRONERESPONDERS® - has announced the City of Atlanta Police Department (APD) will serve as the official host agency for the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety UAS Summit at AUVSI XPONENTIAL from August 16-19 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
As official host agency, APD will join forces with AIRT and AUVSI to provide four days of targeted educational programming for public safety unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) leaders, program managers, and emergency remote pilots interested in using unmanned aviation tools for a wide range of mission-critical emergency operations.
“Drones are rapidly becoming an essential tool to help public safety agencies save lives and protect property,” said Police Chief Rodney Bryant, Chief of the City of Atlanta Police Department. “We look forward to welcoming our brother and sister first responders from around the country to explore this exciting new technology at the DRONERSPONDERS Summit in Atlanta.”
“We are excited to welcome the Atlanta Police Department as our official host agency for the 2021 DRONERESPONDERS Summit at AUVSI XPONENTIAL,” said Chief Charles Werner (ret.), Director of DRONERESPONDERS. “Major cities such as Atlanta represent unique challenges and opportunities for integrating UAS into their everyday operations. We will be tackling these issues in our conference program.”
The DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety UAS Summit in Atlanta will debut an exciting new format featuring two separate tracks designed to educate and prepare first responder UAS program managers and remote pilots at every experience level for public safety UAS operations:
Public Safety UAS Program Management: this track will highlight proven strategies and best practices for UAS program managers at law enforcement, fire service, EMS, and other emergency response organizations who have built successful drone programs.
Public Safety UAS Operations and Tactics: this track is designed to showcase how first responders are using drones to overcome challenges and solve complex operations problems during real-world incidents. Group discussions will help to create an immersive learning experience for attendees.
DRONERESPONDERS is bringing together the best and brightest public safety UAS professionals from around the country to teach attendees how to properly build and manage their organization’s drone program. Attendees will explore actual real world case studies and discuss after-action reviews of how public safety agencies have successfully used UAS to help save lives and protect property.
Each day of the DRONERESPONDERS Summit at XPONENTIAL will focus on the following themes:
Monday, August 16 - Major Cities Day
Tuesday, August 17 – Law Enforcement Day
Wednesday, August 18 – Fire Service EMS Day
Thursday, August 19 – Emergency Management Day
The full program schedule for the DRONERESPONDERS summit will be updated continuously as the event date nears, so check xpo.droneresponders.org often for the latest program sessions and speakers, and to register for the event.
About AIRT
Based in Miami, Florida, AIRT® (Airborne International Response Team) is the leading 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting the use of unmanned systems for public safety and disaster response. AIRT offers a wide range of educational programming, training events, and mission-critical deployments in support of public safety UAS operations and designed to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex emergencies and major disasters. AIRT is the official home of DRONERESPONDERS®. For more information, visit: http://airt.ngo or http://droneresponders.org
About City of Atlanta Police Department
A full-service police agency, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) has adopted a community-oriented philosophy and relies heavily upon community input and collaborative problem-solving strategies. It is through heightened community involvement in public safety matters that the APD will most effectively address its many priorities, including, but not limited to youth-related crime, domestic violence and the perception of crime in Atlanta. With an authorized strength of more than 2,000 sworn officers, APD is the largest law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia, and a dedicated, high-profile force for positive change in our communities. For more information: http://atlantapd.org