WANTED: firefighter-interrupting drone operators

By Lulu Chang Published July 31, 2015

faa task force outlines drone registry plan parrot bebop — Image used with permission by copyright holder

California is really annoyed with whoever manned the drones that impinged upon San Bernardino firefighters while they were at work fighting fires, so much so that one county within the state is willing to pay $75,000 for information about the ne’er-do-wells behind the stunt. Firefighters in California have already had a decidedly difficult year, as the combat fierce blazes made more ferocious by an unrelenting drought and high winds.

And in the last few months, a number of individuals have decided to make these brave civil servants’ lives harder by flying UAVs over three different forest fires, both delaying the start of firefighting efforts and interfering with firefighters on the job. Now, the state is showing that it means business, offering a $25,000 per fire reward for information related to the airborne nuisances.

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Thanks to a unanimous decision made by San Bernardino County supervisors on Tuesday, those responsible for flying the drones could face serious legal action — serious enough to involve some very considerable bounty money in exchange for their identification. Board of Supervisors Chairman James Ramos told the Los Angeles Times, “This type of activity is not going to be tolerated when first responders are trying to put out fires that drastically affect the constituents of San Bernardino County.”

During a recent July 17 fire, there were no fewer than five drones already occupying airspace as firefighters attempted to contain the flames, which ultimately led to a 20-minute delay which permitted the fire to jump the 15 Freeway, and burn dozens of cars. Currently, law enforcement officials are not authorized to fire at drones, but recent legislation has made it possible for first responders to “disable drones that are in the way.” And as Gizmodo points out, there are further efforts in play that would make flying drones during wildfires a federal offense, carrying the possibility of five years in prison.

So sure, your unmanned flying vehicles are fun, but when they result in the “temporary loss of extremely valuable resources in the firefighting efforts,” you might want to think twice before taking to the skies.

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The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
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In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
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