Service Issues Reminder On Drone Use At Emergency Incidents

Senior fire officers are urging the public to follow national drone safety rules after seeing a rise in drones being flown near active emergency scenes.

Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service says it has seen an increase in people attending incidents and operating drones in close proximity to emergency responders, prompting a fresh reminder about the Civil Aviation Authority’s Drone Code.

Flying drones close to, or directly over, emergency incidents is strongly discouraged and, in many cases, unlawful. The Drone Code makes clear that unmanned aircraft must not be used near areas where emergency services are working unless specific permission has been granted.

Unauthorised drone activity at incidents can create a significant safety risk and may hinder emergency operations, including:

• preventing or delaying the landing of an air ambulance or other emergency aircraft;
• interfering with the Service’s own operational drone use;
• placing responding crews, casualties and the wider public at risk.

Flying a drone in these circumstances may constitute a breach of the Drone Code and may be a prosecutable offence. Recent prosecutions (Drone pilot who flew over fire fined in ‘first conviction of its kind’ | News | Independent TV) have demonstrated that enforcement action, including fines and seizure of equipment, can and will be taken where drone use interferes with emergency service operations.

Notably, drone footage taken and shared from emergencies may also compromise the privacy and dignity of people involved in these incidents. Emergency responders will always consciously consider the sensitivities around incident footage prior to sharing.

The service asks that all members of the public follow the Civil Aviation Authority’s Drone Code and heed instructions given by emergency responders on scene, which is often to avoid the area surrounding an active incident completely. These measures are in place solely to protect life, ensure the safety of those involved, and allow emergency services to respond as effectively as possible.