UAS First Responder Symposium June 1 at Kansas State Polytechnic offers information, networking opportunities
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Law enforcement officials participate in a Kansas State Polytechnic Campus unmanned aircraft systems training course. Photo courtesy of Jeff Roberts, Blue River Drones. | Download this photo.
SALINA — First responders and public safety officials in law enforcement, fire, emergency management and city governance are invited to attend the Unmanned Aircraft Systems First Responder Symposium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 1, at Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in Salina.
Co-sponsored by Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus and the Unmanned Aerial Systems Cluster Initiative of Oklahoma and Kansas, which is known as the UAS Cluster Initiative, this networking event will bring agencies from across the state and Midwest to discuss UAS opportunities for first responders.
"Consistent with our vision to help promote the continued integration of UAS into our national airspace system, the vision of this symposium is to leverage Kansas State Polytechnic's UAS expertise to continue providing support of our public safety partners," said Kurt Carraway, UAS executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State Polytechnic. "UAS technologies offer many benefits to our first responder community. This symposium will bring together agencies already conducting UAS operations with those that are trying to evaluate how to get started. Our goal is to have candid discussions about opportunities and restrictions of UAS with this community."
The symposium provides focused time to network and learn from first responder agencies at all levels of UAS operation integration. Presentations from Kansas State Polytechnic's Applied Aviation Research Center will discuss Part 107 regulations versus public operations, as well as updates on the UAS industry. A panel of public safety experts, including members from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Riley County Police Department, will discuss their successes and challenges in implementing UAS operations. In addition, members of the UAS Cluster Initiative will speak about their goals in accelerating UAS growth in the area.
"Furthering the conversation about UAS expansion in Kansas is a goal of the UAS Cluster Initiative," said Josh O'Brien, a team leader with the initiative. "The opportunity for continued UAS growth in public safety is exciting. We look forward to the conversation and the collaborations that will come from the symposium."
Registration for the symposium is open now. The cost is $10 per person and includes lunch. To register, visit the symposium website at ksu-uas.com/firstrespondersymposium. The deadline to register is May 25. For questions about the symposium, please call Kansas State Polytechnic Professional Education and Outreach at 855-552-0079.
Kansas State Polytechnic was recently named third-place winner in the training and education category of the 2018 XCELLENCE Awards by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International. This award recognizes the valuable training offered and the significant role Kansas State Polytechnic has in the UAS industry. Kansas State Polytechnic offers a variety of UAS training courses, including a law enforcement specific flight training course. To learn more about these courses, visit ksu-uas.com/fly-with-the-experts/training
The Unmanned Aerial Systems Cluster Initiative of Oklahoma and Kansas accelerates the growth of the unmanned aerial system industry in the U.S. by enabling established companies and emerging entrepreneurs in Oklahoma and Kansas to connect, work together and gain access to national technology, global capital, advanced business models and global markets. Learn more about the UAS Cluster Initiative at uascluster.com/.
