MURFREESBORO, Tenn. \u2014 When a tractor-trailer carrying chlorine pool tablets crashed and caught on fire on Interstate 24 in Rutherford County in December 2016, emergency personnel weren\u2019t able to get close enough to assess.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so dangerous, and we weren\u2019t really sure what we were dealing with,\u201d said Cody Smith with Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services, \u201cand we couldn\u2019t wear hazmat suits because they\u2019re not flame resistant.\u201d<\/p>\n
A couple of hours into the event, firefighter Jeff Clemente showed up and allowed the team to use his personal unmanned aerial vehicle \u2014 commonly known as a drone \u2014 for a flyover. The drone was just what the team needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe flew in and got some great footage. We saw that the actual hazardous material wasn\u2019t burning anymore,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n
Since then, EMS has purchased its own drone system with allotted funds and each shift has a trained pilot on staff, Smith said. And there are plans to add a drone with night vision and thermal imaging capabilities, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drone is an invaluable tool,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
What was once viewed as a toy has turned out to be useful in a variety of industries, from emergency agencies to real estate brokers and even farmers.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrones are more sophisticated than you might think,\u201d said Lana Axelrod, who heads up Middle Tennessee-based UAV Coach alongside her business partner and husband, Alan Perlman. \u201cAnd they are a really great tool for getting a camera up in the air with which you can capture data, images and video.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the coming days, the Rutherford County Geographic Information Systems team will use the technology on a trip to the Sevier County Solid Waste Compost Plant in East Tennessee. The project is headed up by newly elected County Mayor Bill Ketron, who wants to explore bringing that type of facility here.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re planning to take a couple of unmanned systems out there to get some 3D imagery and get some video of the operations center there so we can learn more about it and bring information back to commissioners who may not be able to attend, or to our citizens to evaluate whether or not Sevier County\u2019s operations might be useful in Rutherford County,\u201d said Brian Robertson, chief information officer for the county.<\/p>\n
While some models in the hobbyist range can be as cheap at $50, the more advanced systems cost into the thousands, Axelrod said.<\/p>\n
Learning to fly a drone can be tricky, especially with the more technologically advanced models, Axelrod said. And the more advanced the system, the more expensive it gets.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you want to protect your investment and learn how to operate it, and you want to learn how to safely operate these things. They are flying lawnmowers. Those propellers are very sharp,\u201d Axelrod said.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of video demonstrations of how the blades are sharp enough to turn the drone into a game of \u201cFruit Ninja,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Right now there are gray areas in the industry when it comes to personal use. But professional use is more regulated.<\/p>\n
In June 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized regulatory framework a certification process that covers the majority of low-risk, commercial small UAVs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe FAA has authority over air space \u2026 but people are worried about privacy. Nobody wants (a drone) in their backyard,\u201d said Axelrod, who encouraged hobby users to be mindful and courteous about when, how and where the drones are used. \u201cIt\u2019s never a bad idea \u2026 to talk to your neighbor \u2026 and explain what you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike cars and airplanes require certification and training, \u201cthere\u2019s no flight proficiency component\u201d to flying UAVs, Axelrod said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s a relatively new industry \u2026 we don\u2019t have standards in place. \u2026 Who knows, maybe (the industry) will get there. \u2026 It\u2019s definitely needed. \u2026 (Drones) are a serious machine,\u201d Axelrod said.<\/p>\n
Middle Tennessee State University now offers an undergraduate degree for Unmanned Aircraft Systems through the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n
Axelrod said the mission of UAV Coach is to educate people how to be smart and safe and \u201cnot create a bad name for the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The county\u2019s GIS team plans to continue improving its program capabilities and use with training and education, said Robertson.<\/p>\n