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COVERAGE AREA

Protest crowd holding signs

Use Case- Protests

USE CASES - Protests

Scenario Overview:
In this emergency scenario, city leaders, peace officers, and fire department personnel must respond to a peaceful protest that has escalated into violence. Bad actors within the protest have started to damage businesses and set cars on fire in the city. This scenario requires a coordinated response to ensure public safety, protect property, and restore order.
 

Scenario Details:
 

Location:

  • The protest initially started in a public square but has now spilled into nearby streets.

  • The city is experiencing nighttime, and the crowd is large and diverse.
     

Incident Description:

  • The protest began peacefully, with demonstrators expressing concerns about a recent event.

  • A small group of agitators infiltrated the peaceful protest and started vandalizing businesses and setting vehicles on fire.

  • The situation quickly escalates, with reports of injuries and significant property damage.
     

Response Actions:

  1. Initial Response (dispatch officer):

    • Receive multiple emergency calls regarding the escalating situation.

    • Dispatch peace officers and fire department units to the scene.

    • Advise city leaders of the ongoing situation.
       

  2. Command Post Setup (incident commander):

    • Establish a unified command post to coordinate the response.

    • Collaborate with city leaders to make informed decisions.

    • Prioritize the safety of both civilians and responders.
       

  3. Crowd Management (incident commander and peace officers):

    • Evaluate the size and mood of the crowd.

    • Deploy officers to maintain order, create safe zones, and prevent further violence.

    • Consider the use of crowd control measures, if necessary, to disperse violent individuals.
       

  4. Fire Suppression and Rescue (fire department):

    • Deploy fire crews to extinguish fires in vehicles and buildings.

    • Provide medical assistance to injured protesters and bystanders.

    • Coordinate with peace officers for secure access to the affected areas.
       

  5. Arrests and Detentions (peace officers):

    • Identify and apprehend individuals responsible for violence and property damage.

    • Document evidence and gather witness statements.

    • Ensure the rights of peaceful protesters are protected.
       

  6. Communication and Media Relations (public information officer):

    • Maintain clear and concise communication with the public and media.

    • Share safety instructions and updates on the situation.

    • Address concerns and maintain transparency.
       

  7. Mutual Aid and Resource Management (logistics chief):

    • Request additional peace officers and fire department resources from neighboring jurisdictions.

    • Manage resource allocation, including personnel, equipment, and supplies.

    • Establish staging areas for coordinating response efforts.
       

  8. Community Engagement (community relations officer):

    • Communicate with community leaders and organizers to de-escalate tensions.

    • Encourage peaceful demonstrators to disassociate from the agitators.

    • Plan for community meetings and dialogue after the incident.
       

  9. Investigation and Accountability (investigating officer and city leaders):

    • Conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, identifying instigators and their motives.

    • Hold individuals accountable for their actions through legal channels.

    • Review and improve protest response protocols and coordination.
       

Conclusion:
This emergency scenario presents a challenging situation where a peaceful protest has turned violent due to the actions of bad actors. Coordinated efforts from peace officers, fire departments, and city leaders are crucial to restoring peace, protecting lives and property, and addressing the underlying issues that led to the escalation. Effective communication, crowd management, and community engagement are key elements in managing such incidents.
 

How could AFRS fire pilots benefit this team effort?
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FAA Collaboration
AFRS maintains a close relationship with the FAA, enabling rapid requests for Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) around emergency scenes. This preserves airspace for incident command operations.

 

RemoteID / Drone Monitoring
The team at AFRS can quickly setup drone monitoring tools to capture the serial numbers of any unauthorized drones operating in the area.

In the event the bad actors are using counter drones for intelligence on police movements, staging areas, etc.   AFRS can catalog that information for authorities easily and effectively.

This information can be used to identify the operators of bad drones.
 

Interagency Communication
Unlike private drone pilots, AFRS maintains a contract with MARCS.  Where MARCS allows your dispatch center and field staff to easily communicate with responding agencies like AFRS.
 

Rapid Response
Multi-Zone coverage areas provide for rapid response for immediate life safety needs.
 

Enhanced Visual Capability
The AFRS public safety grade drones can see up to 1 mile away during daylight hours.   Capturing the participants of the protest and archiving that video content in the cloud can help your team identify the peaceful protestors from the bad actors by reviewing the video.

 

In addition to daylight operations, AFRS drones support low light mode.  Where common city street lights are enough to obtain a reliable picture.    In the absence of all light, this is where AFRS thermal capabilities and spotlights come into play.

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Thermal Imaging
AFRS's thermal imaging technology can easily spot persons hiding and preparing to ambush the police or innocent persons.  Combine this with our laser pinpointing abilities, and the team at AFRS can quickly provide your team the exact coordinates of bad actors.

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High Altitude / Eye in the sky
High altitude operations provide your team an "eye in the sky" that allows you to see the movement of the crowd and that of organized groups intending harm or destruction VS that of the peaceful protestors.

This content can be streamed live to your incident command staff.
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Effective Public Address System
Our drone mounted speaker system with LRAD technology allows us to easily play prerecorded messages to the protestors and/or innocent persons that may be in the path of their activities.

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AFRS also maintains a pre-recorded list of tones and sounds that are uncomfortable and/or annoying in nature.   Where such sounds may convince certain actors to leave the area.

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All-Weather Equipment
AFRS employs enterprise-level public safety drones capable of operating in various weather conditions, including rain, snow, high winds, and freezing temperatures.

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Continuous Flight Time

Each AFRS pilot carries sufficient batteries and onboard mobile charging to maintain near-continuous flight. Quick battery swaps allow for a 45-second downtime between flights.

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Seamless Collaboration

AFRS vehicles are equipped with redundant internet connections, utilizing Firstnet and other data providers. This ensures secure streaming of content to incident command staff and stakeholders anywhere in the world.

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This allows us the ability to stream live content to your incident command staff when cell towers are crowded and typical consumer data plans are degraded by the crowds use of cell towers.

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Documentation and Review
All drone footage is recorded for post-incident analysis. Detailed video timestamps and coordinates enable easy documentation of important milestones.
 

This data can prove to be valuable information that can be used by prosecutors or for court purposes.

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Training Resources
Archived videos remain accessible for years after the incident. This valuable resource allows your team to incorporate real-life scenarios into future training sessions and benefits first responders worldwide.

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AFRS Capabilities

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This short video highlights our capabilities and common scenarios faced in the field.

DONATIONS

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VOLUNTEERS

YOU MATTER! Join AFRS and Make a Difference ​ At AFRS, we believe that many hands make light work, and your talents and wisdom can help us provide amazing emergency services to those in need. ​ We take pride in offering remote-friendly opportunities, respecting the time you dedicate to others. In many cases, you can volunteer from the comfort of your home. ​ Please note that all volunteers are subject to background checks and license verification where applicable.   Interested persons should send their resume and cover letter to todd.may@afrs.us ​ ​ Current Volunteer Positions Available: ​ BOARD MEMBERS Our bylaws require all board members to have active/retired experience in Fire, EMS, peace officers, military, or be actively employed by a national infrastructure organization (hospital, transportation, utilities, etc). ​ Board members should be able to: Effectively communicate Work remotely Participate in committees Promote AFRS Attend monthly meetings (remotely) ​ Board members can expect: Regular email communication Attendance at monthly online board meetings Acting in the best interest of AFRS Occasional attendance at functions or group meetings with AFRS customers/vendors Minimum term of office: 3 years The ideal candidate for this position would have prior board experience and uphold high moral standards. FIREFIGHTERS AFRS relies on Ohio certified firefighters to operate our public safety grade drones. Fire pilots should be able to: Perform regular firefighter duties.  - Waivers may be possible in some cases Work remotely without direct supervision Attend monthly meetings (remotely) Operate electronic devices and computers Hold an active Fire 1/2 certification Hold or obtain an FAA 107 pilot's license with night ops certification Have a clean driving record and valid driver's license Function in high-stress environments and dynamic situations ​ Fire pilots can expect: 12-hour shifts (0600-1800 or 1800-0600) No more than 36 hours of volunteer/work per week Exposure to elements and dynamic situations Rewarding training and experiences Life insurance and LOD benefits Disability/injury benefits Remote-friendly environment in many cases Leadership buy-in and genuine appreciation Live drone prophecy test ​ The ideal candidate for this position would be a certified firefighter who holds a FAA 107 license and NFPA 2400 training. ​ Considerations will be made to train up the right candidates to become drone pilots and obtain their NFPA 2400 training. ​ Candidates should also be passionate about their community and eager to learn new technologies that enhance public safety. ​ ​ DISPATCHERS AFRS recognizes the vital role that dispatchers play in our success. They are the "voice" that enables amazing things to happen within our organization. ​ AFRS dispatchers have the ability to work from home anywhere in the United States. ​ Dispatchers should be able to: Effectively communicate via voice, text, and email Have moderate or advanced computer skills Work alone and unsupervised without micro-management Adhere to policies and procedures Provide a stable/reliable internet connection from home Provide a stable/reliable Windows PC, Chromebook, or Android tablet Maintain a quiet background when handling telephone or radio activities Utilize web-based tools such as Google Maps, Open Maps, weather apps, chat, video conference, and others ​ Dispatchers can expect: Flexible shifts that suit your availability No more than 36 hours per week Fast-paced and rewarding environment Communicating with other government agencies on recorded lines Remote-friendly environment for anyone based in the US Leadership that truly values your contributions Making a difference in others' lives and enhancing community safety Regular training and one-on-one mentoring ​ Ideal candidates for this position include individuals passionate about serving the public and eager to learn new skills. ​ ​ SOCIAL MEDIA / VIDEO EDITING AFRS's emergency robotics capture a vast amount of data, including photos and videos that may need to be processed for marketing, fundraising, and training purposes. ​ This remote-friendly position is open to volunteers anywhere in the United States. ​ Social media volunteers should be able to: Perform post-processing of video content Interact with various social media platforms (TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) Process messages and respond professionally Review statistical data from each social media platform and relay trends to leadership Create slideshows or collections for gallery display or training purposes Resize, edit, crop, and alter images and video Attend monthly membership meetings Accomplish tasks without direct supervision ​ Social media volunteers can expect: Flexible schedules that fit your life No more than 36 hours per week Team environment Remote-friendly - Work from home ​ Interested persons should send their resume and cover letter to todd.may@afrs.us

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