AIRT non-profit program will tap public safety UAS leaders and emergency services drone experts from major agencies and organizations to build training cadre.

AIRT, the leading 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting Drones For Good® and AAM For Good®, and home to the DRONERESPONDERS Program advancing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for public safety agencies and emergency response organizations, today announced a new national public safety UAS training program in response to findings from their 2025 Government and Public Safety Sector Survey.  The survey captured insights from nearly 900 respondents and uncovering data that underscores a critical need for enhanced training and leadership development among agencies operating UAS in the public interest.

An overwhelming 91% of respondents reported that their remote pilots serve in collateral roles, meaning drone operations are a secondary responsibility to their primary duties. This operational structure places significant strain on agencies’ ability to maintain effective and sustainable UAS programs.

One of the most pressing issues identified in the survey is the lack of training infrastructure and succession planning. Only 26% of agencies expressed strong satisfaction with their internal capacity to train remote pilots, and a mere 18% are “very satisfied” with their access to qualified external training providers. Even more concerning, just 31% of agencies have implemented a formal plan to manage remote pilot attrition—a vulnerability that threatens the long-term viability of many public safety UAS programs.

More than 76% of respondents state that their agency would benefit from additional training focused specifically on UAS program administration and management. To address this growing gap, DRONERESPONDERS is launching a new training project called the UAS National Initiative for Training and Education (UNITE).  UNITE is designed to build leadership capacity and institutional resilience within public safety drone operations. The program will equip UAS program managers with the knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to ensure the continuity, compliance, and community impact of drone missions in the evolving landscape of public safety.

“For over 10 years the public safety community has been waiting for the development of a national standard for remote pilot training and UAS program management,” said Charles Werner, Director, DRONERESPONDERS.  UNITE will fill that gap by establishing un-paralleled, world-class curriculum designed and taught by instructors who are undisputed leaders in public safety drone program management and operations.”

UNITE is designed to turbocharge public safety agency UAS capabilities, leadership acumen, and operational excellence by offering flexible delivery models that programs need to build next-generation UAS teams prepared to respond to whatever mission they may face.

UNITE will offer three distinct learning pathways:

  1. Online: Starting with the UAS Leadership Series, a three-part journey designed to elevate leaders through every stage of their growth, from foundational readiness to strategic command. Designed for current and aspiring public safety UAS Program Managers, this immersive online training series delivers a progressive learning experience. 

  2. Regional Events and Workshops: Designed to elevate practical skills at multi-agency training days, hosted throughout the nation.

  3. Custom Training: Enhanced UAS training modules and curriculum to address unique challenges and specialized needs of operators and program managers.

AIRT has tapped Jason Day, to serve as the DRONERESPONDERS Deputy Director, Training to spearhead UNITE.  Day will leverage his experience building and managing the largest public safety UAS program in the U.S. for the Texas Department of Public Safety to help other public safety agencies create drone programs that offer safely and securely in the National Airspace System (NAS).
“I am very excited to work with DRONERESPONDERS to support the needs of public safety agencies across the U.S. and around the world, said Day.  “UNITE will help fill the gaps identified by AIRT’s research data by creating more robust public safety UAS leaders better equipped to develop and lead all types and sizes of drone programs for their respective jurisdictions.”
DRONERESPONDERS will host a live webinar on Thursday, August 7 at 2:00 pm Eastern to present further details surrounding the 2025 Government and Public Safety UAS Sector Survey and the UNITE project.  Registration for the webinar is now open via unite.droneresponders.org
For additional information about the DRONERESPONDERS UAS National Initiative for Training and Education (UNITE), to register for a class, or to explore becoming an instructor, please visit: droneresponders.org/training

 

 

About AIRT

Based in Miami, Florida, AIRT® (Airborne International Response Team) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization advancing the use of Drones For Good® and AAM For Good℠ for public safety and emergencies.  AIRT offers a range of educational programming, training events, and mission-critical deployments that help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex emergencies and major disasters.  AIRT’s programs include DRONERESPONDERS®, advancing public safety UAS, and the DRONERESPONDERS FLOGRU and TEXGRU state-level workgroup models for sharing knowledge and coordinating public safety drone operations.  For more information, visit http://airt.ngo