Modern drones have been a technological innovation that has attracted a lot of attention. Drones show promise in making rescue and surveillance missions quicker and less risky. However, like every other innovation, the drone technology needs to be used wisely, even when doing so for recreation. The recent use of drones in some areas is proving to be quite a hassle, especially during emergency rescues by air ambulance services and firefighters. Take for instance, the camera-mounted drones during the San Bernardino Mountain fire. These were believed to have hampered the firefighting aircrafts. Just imagine what would happen if a drone prevents air ambulance services like this.
Drones that Hamper Air Ambulance Services can be brought Down
Senator Ted Gaines has proposed a bill recently that aims at bringing down any drone that hampers air ambulance services or other type of rescue missions. In other words, the air ambulance services will no longer have to think twice before bringing down a menacing drone and this is a clear signal for the drone owners to be careful.
Drone Operators can be Fined and Even Imprisoned
Legislation is being pushed currently to make flying a drone over forest fires a misdemeanour that would attract a fine of $2000. On top of that, United States Representative Paul Cook has introduced another piece of legislation that would make the act a federal offence. If found guilty of flying drones over forest fires, the drone operators could face up to five years in prison plus a fine. This is a welcome relief for air ambulance services.
According to a report in Los Angeles Times, a reward of $75,000 has been announced by Bernardino County for any information pertaining to the owners of the drones that had interfered during the recent fires. This is yet another warning to the drone owners, who tend to act like inconsiderate paparazzi during emergency situations.
At the end of the day, flying drones is a fun activity and has a lot of potential to help people. The only aspect to be kept in mind is flying them responsibly.
