California Bill Could Give Emergency Responders License to Ground Drones

UPDATE: This bill was vetoed in September 2015.

If a recent California bill becomes a law, emergency crews will have a license to kill – drones.

Sen. Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado), along with Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale), co-authored Senate Bill 168 and the duo plans to introduce it in the Assembly later this summer. The bill “grants immunity to any emergency responder who damages an unmanned aircraft in the course of firefighting, air ambulance, or search-and-rescue operations.”

In a press release, Gaines said recent reports of drones interfering with firefighting efforts demonstrated the need to allow emergency responders a way to deal with errant UAVs in crisis situations.

“This is maddening and I can’t believe that hobby drones are risking people’s lives to get videos on YouTube,” Gaines said. “Cars were torched on the freeways because drones made aerial firefighting efforts impossible. This bill will help make sure the skies are clear of drones and that the brave men and women fighting these fires can do their job of protecting the public without worrying about frivolous lawsuits,” he added.

The bill would indemnify emergency responders if they knock a drone from the sky. Gaines said he hopes that jamming technology could be used to discourage drones or even down them if necessary. As first reported in DRONELIFE, Homeland Security researchers have been testing methods to jam drones at remote sites.

However, IDG News Service reporter Tim Hornyak points out that “U.S. federal law prohibits [jamming technology] marketing, sale and use on public or private property. Offenders can receive hefty fines or time in prison. While there are limited exceptions for the use of jammers by authorized federal agencies, state and local governments are not permitted to use them, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.”

Many in the drone community welcome the bill. “I absolutely love it,” said RadFlight CEO Mike Rivard told Capital Public Radio. “We worked so hard for the last three years to change the opinion and the perception of drones and just a few guys can ruin it.”

Some rescue workers have reportedly already engaged in a drone war with low tech weaponry. Last month, firefighters in an upstate New York town were caught on video apparently blasting water at a drone that was photographing the scene of a house fire.

The drone’s operator, John Thompson, wrote on Facebook that the gadget cost $2,200. He accused the firefighters of misconduct, and implied that they can expect a bill for the device.