The Fire Marshal’s Office falls within Allegheny County Emergency Services. The need to document fire and explosion scenes, aid in aerial documentation of criminal investigations, survey disasters, and instances where aerial perspectives are safer than risking first responders are just some of the reasons behind establishing our drone unit.We began our drone program a little over five years ago when we obtained a grant and purchased the DJI Inspire One. At the time, the FAA regulations regarding drone operations was in flux, especially with public safety. At that time, we spent countless amounts of time with FAA representatives and people claiming to be experts in this field of drone operations. After about a year's time, we were no further ahead with our drone program then when we started.Dave King, of Steel City Drones, was introduced to us about four years ago. Since then, Allegheny County Emergency Services has contracted with Dave to develop our Standard Operating Procedures, as well as provide training and equipment/drone purchases. I am extremely impressed by Dave's eager and willingness to make our unit the best that it can be. Dave provided us with valuable guidance on our last purchase of a DJI M200, which suits our missions perfectly. The Standard Operating Procedures that Dave developed are extremely in-depth and encompass every aspect of the drone operation and flight procedures, with a strong emphasis on safety. We also contracted Dave for five members from our office to attend his on-line training academy. In addition to this training, Dave has met with myself and others to provide one-on-one ground school tutoring and test preparation.Dave has been there every step of the way. His attention to detail and focus on safety are commendable. I speak from experience, from attending other drone test and operation preparation courses, Dave is more focused on the student learning how to fly safely and in accordance with FAA regulations than just teaching enough to past the Part 107 exam.Obviously, I cannot say enough about our satisfaction with Dave King and Steel City Drones. I hope I provided you some highlights of why we contracted with him and why we will continue to work with Dave in the years to come. He is thorough, safe and a pleasure to work with. In my experience, he is second to none!
