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County outlines expanded drone programs, waivers and a proposed working group for UAS coordination
Summary
At a county workshop, fire and sheriff officials described drone‑as‑first‑responder pilots, beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight waivers, early aerial situational‑awareness docks, and experimental payloads for water or whole‑blood delivery; the board supported forming a working group to update policy and explore coordination.
San Bernardino County officials briefed the Board of Supervisors on an expanding set of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) programs that county fire, sheriff and other departments are operating or proposing.
Assistant Executive Officer Trevor Leija framed the briefing by noting that the county flew more than 420 UAS flight hours last year across multiple departments and that programs now range from infrastructure inspection to public‑safety missions. "This technology is so much more than aerial video," he said, urging policy updates as capabilities evolve.
Lieutenant Jared Bashir of the Sheriff’s operational technologies unit described limited deployments for the Specialized Enforcement Division, a drone‑as‑first‑responder (DFR) pilot in Victorville that helps locate missing persons and supports officer safety, and plans for mobile response assets to reach remote search‑and‑rescue incidents. "For our search and rescue personnel, we want to be able to leverage this technology to make it safer and more efficient," Bashir said.
Battalion Chief Chris Boden with the Fire District described an aggressive public‑safety program that uses thermal and high‑end sensors to map incidents, provide scene illumination at night, and fly beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight under FAA waivers. Fire officials outlined a pilot of five ‘‘drone‑in‑a‑box’’ docks in the valley and South Desert that would allow rapid launch of aircraft ahead of ground crews. Staff also described research partnerships on heavier‑payload UAS that could carry water or deliver whole blood to remote trauma patients.
The presenters asked the board whether to modernize county UAS policy (to accommodate beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight operation), invest in information‑sharing platforms that create a common operating picture, and establish a working group to evaluate drone detection/mitigation and possible co‑location of real‑time fusion centers. Several supervisors, including Supervisor Hagman and Supervisor Armendariz, endorsed exploring a co‑located fusion center or shared services and emphasized working with cities and federal/military partners for large desert responses.
The board received and filed the item and directed staff to convene stakeholders to define next steps and return with more detailed recommendations.
Why it matters: expanding UAS operations may improve first‑responder safety and situational awareness, but they raise policy questions about airspace deconfliction, privacy, cost and staffing that the county plans to address through a cross‑departmental work effort.
