WASHINGTON — In some cases, drones are designed to take their targets by surprise. That’s what happened in Montgomery County earlier this month when members of the Montgomery County Council’s Public Safety Committee learned during a public session that the county had purchased four drones; three were being tested by the fire department and a fourth was in the office of the county’s Chief Innovation Officer Dan Hoffman.
While several members of the Montgomery County Council said they’re open to the use of drones, the council is considering a resolution that would call on County Executive Ike Leggett to come up with policies regarding the use of the drones or “unmanned aerial systems.”
In a meeting with reporters on Monday, Montgomery County Council President Craig Rice said he has no problem with some of the applications of drones now being tested. For example, drones could be helpful as firefighters head to the scene of a particularly large or complex fire, or one that involved hazardous materials.
“Keeping a lot of our first responders out of danger’s way while still giving us a great snapshot — I think that’s something we do need to explore,” Rice says.
Rice says he understands some of the reluctance around the use of drones. Because they are not fixed the way traffic cameras are, they could be potentially more invasive. But, Rice added it’s just one new technology.
“We use helicopters, we use aircraft to do speed monitoring. We have traffic cameras. So all of these things are already out there,” he says.
Rice was asked if the purchase of the devices before the county came up with policies on their use was either a violation of county regulations or purchasing rules.
“This is certainly in their purview. I mean, if the chief of police was looking at a new bullet-proof vest, the police wouldn’t come to us and say ‘Hey, this is a new bullet-proof vest, what do you guys think about it?'”
In previous hearings, Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger said his department held off on the purchase of drones, citing regulations and most especially, public reaction and concerns over privacy. However, Manger said he’s open to looking at their use. The fire department has been testing them and considered their use for those times when conditions on a site would put firefighters in harm’s way — when being able to assess a fire scene from above could help them determine their strategy.
The county council will consider the resolution asking Leggett to come up with policies on drone use on Tuesday during the council’s regular session.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.
