In a significant advancement for public safety drone operations in Central America, AIRT (Airborne International Response Team) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have successfully trained and certified six pilots from the Costa Rica National Fire Service (Bomberos) as proctors for the NIST sUAS Standard Test Methods. This training initiative was conducted in support of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and its regional public safety objectives.

The Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with over 50 years of experience supporting public safety aviation, and the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting the use of drones and robotic systems for public safety and disaster response, have entered into an agreement of cooperation to support the implementation of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Test Methods for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to enhance safety and remote pilot proficiency surrounding public safety drone operations.

Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), the leading 501(c)3 organization supporting Drones For Good™ for emergencies and disaster response has been awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to support drone operations within federal, state, and local public safety agencies and emergency services organizations. The grant funding will be used by AIRT’s DRONERESPONDERS program to help implement standard test methods for sUAS developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a way to objectively evaluate aircraft capabilities, focus training with measures of remote pilot proficiency, and support pilot credentialing.