Unmanned aircraft are emerging and valuable tools for emergency managers. The Dorchester County Emergency Management Department has an unmanned aircraft (UA) program to ensure the best information is available to the emergency operations center, and other public safety organizations in the county. Dorchester County UAS operates in accordance with FAA Part 107, which is the same licensing program available to the public. 

Equipment

Dorchester County Emergency Management operates two UAS - DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise and DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual. The Mavic 2 Enterprise features omnidirectional obstacle avoidance sensors, a 1080p camera with 2x optical zoom, and can fly for up to 31 minutes. It can fly up to 45 miles per hour and has a range of up to 3 miles, however, FAA rules require visual line of sight to be kept at all times, so the UAS is rarely more than a few hundred meters away from the remote pilot. The Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual has the same functionality but is equipped with an infrared camera.  An infrared camera may be required to assist in search and rescue missions or emergency missions after daylight.

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Uses 

Here are a few examples of what the unmanned aircraft will be used for:

• Damage assessment before and after severe weather
• Flooding assessment
• Search and Rescue
• HAZMAT responses
• Fire incident support and investigation
• County facility mapping and imagery
• Infrastructure inspection

The unmanned aircraft is primarily used for public safety applications, however, the EMD recognizes that there are privacy concerns associated with the use of UAS technology.

The Dorchester County UAS program will NOT use unmanned aircraft in the following scenarios:

• The unmanned aircraft will NOT be used to conduct random surveillance.
• The unmanned aircraft will NOT be used to harass, intimidate, or discriminate any individual or group.
• The unmanned aircraft will NOT be used to target individuals based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or disability.
• The unmanned aircraft will NOT be used to conduct searches without a warrant.
• The unmanned aircraft will NOT be used to conduct routine patrol operations.
• The unmanned aircraft will NOT be used for non-county business.
• The unmanned aircraft will ALWAYS be flown in accordance with FAA Part 107 regulations, and any applicable waivers that are authorized under the provisions of Part 107. Dorchester County EMD currently holds a waiver that permits nighttime operations.