SYRACUSE, N.Y. – With everything from FAA Liaisons and Deputy Commissioners to demonstrations highlighting drone programs and use cases for first responders, the 2024 NYS Public Safety UAS Summit was a truly high-flying event. On July 23 and 24, over 250 public agents from across New York converged on the NYS Fairgrounds for two days of education and up-close engagement with uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS or “drones”) and technologies that can help them in their everyday work.
Day 1 was hosted by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services who brought in an incredible host of speakers to present the latest in UAS news from the FAA and NYS agencies. Attendees heard first-hand about the NYPD’s launch of their Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program including the challenges and opportunities that the program team encountered. Next, the first responders and public agents took in details on UAS and counter UAS preparations for major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, concerts, rallies, and more. Day 1 closed out looking at specific case studies for UAS in the management of fires, transit emergencies, and police incidents. Hearing directly from the individuals responsible for the oversight and deployment of these UAS and C-UAS programs provided invaluable insight into ways that this technology can only improve the safety and effectiveness of our public servants.
Garrett Gainor, NYSP – one of the speakers from Day 1 – explained, “the technology and capabilities are important, but the know-how to use them and get actionable information to stakeholders is just as critical.” Every attendee left having learned something new about UAS.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “The use of UAS is transforming emergency and disaster response and New York State is on the leading edge of this transition. Bringing together experts from the public and private sector to learn more about best practices and new innovations helps us use this emerging technology as effectively as possible.”
Day 2 featured 24 industry vendors that each had a unique UAS-related product, service, or technology to assist public agents. The day was full of up-close and personal opportunities to speak exclusively with these vendors and talk in-depth about how they might be deployed. With representatives from Skydio, Volatus Drones, Omada, Fotokite, and more, attendees spent the day engaging and taking in flight demonstrations of all types of drones and aviation systems. Adding to the incredible lineup of vendors was NYS Canal Corporation who showed up and showed off with their UxS depot featuring multiple aircraft, submersibles, and custom-made small land robotics. Continuing to push innovation, they also brought in their pontoon boat and ATV, both of which used in regular UxS operations.
“NUAIR is honored to celebrate the sixth year of the NYS Public Safety UAS Summit with our partner the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services,” said Ken Stewart, President and CEO of NUAIR. “With more and more New York State agencies benefiting from the adoption of UAS technology as part of their daily operations helping to keep our communities safe, we’re thrilled that this event has grown to be able to include the NYS Fairgrounds and other local businesses – truly turning into an investment across New York State.”
Jarret Rhyner, UVT Solutions Specialist and one of the Day 2 vendors said, “The Summit allowed us to showcase our service and support options to teams in New York state who are looking to build and develop their sUAV programs. Being able to meet program leaders and officials within the state helped us better understand the needs of these Local and State agencies. In addition to helping educate the community on our DFR and docked solutions, we were able to spend valuable time with our partners and strengthen our partner relationships. We’re thrilled to support these programs and look forward to supporting these agencies in the years to come.”
NUAIR and NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services look forward to continuing this tradition of educating, equipping, and training New York first responders and public agents.
Keep an eye out for 2025 dates coming soon!
About the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. For more information, follow @NYSDHSES on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) or visit dhses.ny.gov.
About NUAIR®
NUAIR is a New York-based nonprofit driving economic development through innovations in UAS and Advanced Air Mobility to safely integrate into the national airspace. With guidance from inception to acceleration, we help you deliver advanced UAS commercial outcomes and build your aviation ecosystem on a proven network of systems from incubators to investors and customers to partners. Understand the harmonization needed to innovate airspace, advance aviation, and architect AAM in your community from theory to reality with our team of experts.
With a rich history of 10+ years performing UAS testing and validation, investing in local and state economic development, and training public safety elite, the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc. (NUAIR) is proud to be the catalyst to not only New York’s airspace innovation, but aviation advancement around the globe.
NUAIR . Where Next Takes Flight.
