Responding to Hurricane Ian: Drones and Emergency Communications Lessons Learned

Sunday, October 15, 2023

8:00 AM – 9:15 AM PST

Location: Room: 1B

Submitter and Speaker(s)

JK

John Kuch

Unmanned Systems Analyst
Pasco Sheriff's Office, Florida
Land O' Lakes, Florida, United States

Speaker(s)

Robert Dooley

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Program Coordinator
Florida Highway Patrol
Ft. Myers, Florida, United States
Rich Gatanis

Fire Fighter/Hazardous Materials Technician/UAS Coordinator
Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue, Florida
Sarasota, Florida, United States
DM

David Merrick

Director
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Harry Markley

Senior Law Enforcement Advisor
FirstNet Authority
Reston, Virginia, United States
FS

Fred Scalera

Director, FirstNet Response Operations Group
FirstNet, Built with AT&T
Reston, Virginia, United States
DD

Derrick Diggs

Chief of Police
Fort Meyers Police Department, Florida
Ft. Myers, Florida, United States

Hurricane Ian, the fifth most powerful storm to hit the United States and the deadliest to impact Florida, made landfall on a barrier island west of Fort Myers on September 28, 2022, with wind speeds approaching Category 5 strength. Addressing power loss across 12 counties, catastrophic flooding, search and rescue/recovery, and hazmat mitigation needs, Florida’s first responders were aided in the brilliant execution and coordination of their efforts by the use of drones. Panelists explore how drone technology supported mapping missions and live-streaming to the state’s emergency operations centers; deployment of assets based on real-time info; searches for residents trapped in homes, vessels, and a river basin; waterway incidents involving spills/leaks of hazardous materials; and the security of empty homes.