ASSUREd Safe is a federated ecosystem that was developed to educate, train, test, and certify first responders in the use of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the U.S. and throughout the world. Founded in 2021 as a program under ASSURE – the FAA’s Center of Excellence (COE) for UAS, and established in 2015, and led by a coalition of research universities. The program was initiated through federal funding from FEMA’s Continuing Training Grants (CTG) program to develop standardized UAS training and credentialing for first responders.
Congressional support for ASSUREd Safe stemmed from earlier research conducted under an FAA-sponsored project that revealed critical gaps in first responder UAS training and standard operating procedures. In response, Congress directed funding to address those gaps, leading to the development of the first FEMA-funded courses in early 2023.
The mission of the ASSUREd Safe program is to provide training and operational alignment of all First Responder UAS programs and UAS Operators across the nation, while continuing to provide FEMA courses for disaster response preparedness, taught through the eight ASSUREd Safe partner universities across six FEMA regions.
“ASSUREd Safe is currently in the process of expanding our training capacity by bringing in additional universities and instructors over the course of the next year to ensure that ASSUREd Safe standards and FEMA training are available to as many First Responders nationwide as possible in all 10 FEMA regions,” said Associate Director BJ McClenton.
Curriculum Development
The baseline ASSUREd Safe curriculum for standards and operational training was developed by Subject Matter Experts (SME) with a wide breadth of experience in the field of UAS, from military operation and formal instruction of UAS in combat deployments, to university partners with leading researchers and pilots in distinguished UAS programs and First Responders around the nation in the fields of fire services, law enforcement, and EMT.
Not only does the curriculum have to undergo a stringent review to ensure it meets operational and regulatory needs, but the final step is to run a pilot training course comprised of a group of experienced First Responders who then provide feedback and suggestions to fine-tune the content and delivery before it is released.
Scaling Up
The ASSUREd Safe program is operated by a skilled program management team at Mississippi State University, who all have backgrounds in First Responder training and operations, including disaster preparation and response. The role of this team is to interact with First Responders and government agencies to meet their needs, while constantly working to expand the reach of ASSUREd Safe training opportunities.
Different Levels of Training
The ASSUREd Safe program currently offers two types of training – a five-day UAS Operator (UAS-O) course, and four FEMA disaster response courses.
The five day UAS-O course was created in response to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and was designed for First Responder UAS pilots, from beginners to seasoned veterans. The goal of the course is not just to create a drone pilot, but to teach the policy and operational requirements of the FAA, FEMA, and NIST in order for ASSUREd Safe qualified pilots to know how to operate safely in the National Airspace, no matter where they are. The course also provides flight training that is specific to fire safety and law enforcement personnel mission sets.
The four FEMA courses are broken down as follows: Introduction to UAS Flight Operations for Emergency Response; Introduction to UAS Data Analytics for Emergency Response; UAS Flight Operations for Emergency Response Level II; UAS Data Analytics for Emergency Response Level II. All four courses are designed to empower first responders, disaster relief professionals, and crisis managers with the latest techniques and strategies for effectively leveraging the use of UAS in emergency situations.
These courses not only guide first responders through the operational considerations of the data collection process post -disaster, but also the processing, analytics, and dissemination of mission-critical information. This collaboration not only enhances the quality of training available to emergency responders but also facilitates the adoption of UAS as a valuable tool in disaster response and recovery efforts nationwide.
The Reauthorization Act
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 formally established ASSUREd Safe as the congressionally mandated standards training for First Responders nationwide. The program addresses the critical need for standardized training programs for UAS operators and on-scene commanders and coordinators, enabling them to respond to natural disasters or emergency situations with full confidence in their abilities.
The key to ASSUREd Safe training is to ensure that UAS operators are operating with a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of communication and operational standards, national airspace regulations and reporting requirements.
Certification and Credentialing
The key to everyone operating effectively in an emergency is to provide repeatable and sustainable training and proficiency standards. ASSUREd Safe certification and credentialing standards are designed to ensure compliance across all areas of operation. UAS operations are governed by the FAA and their accreditation of the ASSUREd Safe program provides assurance to our First Responders that all communication, operation, and currency standards that they are trained to will be in accordance with the agency that governs our national airspace and all UAS operations within it.
“We adhere to all governing body standards for every tactical deployment, training, and procedure employed by fire services, law enforcement, and EMS programs throughout the nation. The ASSUREd Safe training, backed by the FAA, will provide that same level of training and response in the First Responder UAS programs.” BJ McClenton, Associate Director.
Integration With Programs Already In Place
The ASSUREd Safe program provides two unique service elements that will help to address State and local agency training programs that are already in place: a Steering Committee made up of First Responders nationwide, and a Standards Board that is made up of government agencies, DoD, Industry, and academic representatives.
“We acknowledge that there are many tried, tested, and proven training programs in each respective discipline of emergency response, and our program does not have the means, necessity, or desire to supersede them, in any way. The program we have in place is to review those courses, not for their applicable content, but to ensure they fall in line with any applicable governing policies and/or agencies,” BJ McClenton underscored.
“ASSUREd Safe will not review course content; however, we will review the course framework if requested to ensure that training meets policy standards. The training will then go through the Steering Committee for an overall review and, if there is an area where common ground (as it refers to policy) needs to be found, it will be presented to the Standards Board for resolution. The last step allows everyone to either agree to modify an accepted training standard or to modify existing policy or regulations that may be out of date.”
Ongoing Training and Refresher Courses – New Tech Advancements and Proficiency
The first order of business when building out the ASSUREd Safe program was to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document. The SOP establishes the policies, guidelines, and operational standards for the ASSUREd Safe program. The purpose is to provide a unified framework ensuring the standardized creation and delivery of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) training, certification, and operational excellence in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). More specifically, Chapter 7 of the SOP provides the standard for refresher training, currency requirements, and the recertification process.
Additional training will be provided by the ASSUREd Safe program as part of the credentialing career ladder offered by the program. In addition to the 5-Day UAS-O course, advanced classes in specialized areas—such as Search and Rescue, Wildfire response, and Mapping—will be offered as part of a continuing education platform for students. The ASSUREd Safe goal is to introduce the additional achievements into the database as a means for supervisors and disaster coordinators to call upon their services as needed in specific response missions.
Sectors
As with any new program, there will be a period of adaptability and growth that will be crucial to the success of the mission of ASSUREd Safe. Establishing an operational standard within First Responder UAS programs throughout the nation will require time, patience, and deliberate effort. The ASSUREd Safe program will work hand-in-hand with First Responders, to include students, the steering committee, state and local administrations, and the Standards Board members, to continually update curriculum and focus to ensure every sector has what they need to be successful, as the program grows.
Individuals interested in taking courses should visit the ASSUREd Safe website to register for the course on their preferred date and time as shown on the registration page. If you encounter any issues, please reach out to training@assuredsafe.org.
Looking Ahead
Outside of First Responders, ASSUREd Safe will be expanding to meet the needs of the Department of Defense, industry UAS operators and hobbyist UAS operators. While the primary focus in these areas will initially be within the Unites States, ASSUREd Safe will also be expanding to allies and partners of the U.S., as per the FAA Reauthorization Act.
Link: https://www.assuredsafe.org/. Photos courtesy of ASSUREd Safe.org.
