Tag: Drone

Massachusetts town approves new bylaw to restrict Amazon drone deliveries: “Like David and Goliath”

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Residents in Westboro, Massachusetts, are pushing back against Amazon’s plans to launch drone deliveries in their community, overwhelmingly approving a new bylaw aimed at restricting the service. At a special town meeting Monday, residents voted 510-13 in favor of the bylaw, which would regulate noise, nuisance and privacy issues associated with commercial drone deliveries and impose fines for violations. The bylaw has to be reviewed and allowed by the state attorney general before it can take effect. It comes as Amazon has made plans to begin delivering packages by drone in Westboro and surrounding communities by the end of the year.

The company is already operating drone delivery flights in about a dozen metro areas, with plans to expand the service to several hundred cities and towns across the U.S. by the end of 2026. Amazon Prime Air uses autonomous drones measuring about 5 feet by 5 feet to deliver packages directly to customers’ properties, within an hour of an order being placed. “Westboro, Mass. has been exactly that type of beacon of innovation that we’re looking for,” said Amazon’s Tareq Wafaie during an August Select Board meeting about the proposal, pointing to the company’s already large footprint in Westboro, which includes a fulfillment center and robotics facility. But some residents say the convenience of faster deliveries isn’t worth the potential impact on their neighborhoods. “We’re very passionate about this issue.

It might feel like David and Goliath, but I like how that story ends,” said Stephanie Stuchlik, who is part of the growing opposition to Amazon’s plans. “I spend a lot of time outdoors with my kids. I have two little girls, so I am disturbed by the thought of having this quality time outside with them, reading books and hearing and seeing these drones flying overhead all day long. It feels like not what I want my kids to grow up into,” she added. While the Federal Aviation Administration largely controls the use of airspace and has green-lit drone deliveries, residents are attempting to regulate the operation of commercial drone deliveries at the ground level. “Public nuisance, public safety issue. For what gain? To save 20 or 30 minutes to get your toothpaste or a bottle of Thousand Island dressing? It doesn’t make sense,” said Rod Jané.

“I think it’s a really, really bad idea for the town, and I think we’re doing the right thing in opposing it,” Jané added. The opposition in Westboro has also caught the attention of state and federal lawmakers. In a letter, State Sen. Michael Moore and other area lawmakers are requesting Gov. Maura Healey’s administration establish a task force to review commercial drone deliveries and consider potential policy changes. “Do we want our quality of life impacted by this?” Moore questioned. Moore said the outcome in Westboro could have implications beyond the town. “Whatever happens here will be the precedent for obviously Massachusetts and maybe New England. That’s why it’s so important that we try to get this right,” he said. “Most of us are Prime customers,” said resident Christine Farmer.

“But if drone delivery services operate, that opens the gateway for any other retailer. So that’s the reason why the townspeople are saying, ‘no thank you.'” “It’s really a disruption to the peace and the quality of life that we would have here to have something just show up and make a delivery stopping 13 feet from your window,” Farmer added. In a statement, Amazon acknowledged the town’s vote, but indicated it is continuing to evaluate its plans. “We are aware of the bylaw recently passed in Westborough regarding commercial drone delivery. We remain committed to engaging with local officials and community members as we continue to assess our plans for the area,” the company said. Amazon also defended its Prime Air program, which already operates in several states and metropolitan areas, describing the service as safe and reliable. “Each Prime Air site creates new jobs spanning operations, engineering, safety, and more, with employees earning competitive wages and full benefits from day one,” the company said.

Meanwhile, residents are preparing for another challenge through the local zoning board. Opponents argue that Amazon should not be allowed to use its existing Westboro facility to launch drone deliveries and plan to appeal to the board as part of their ongoing efforts. “We need to stop, we need to pause, we need to do everything in our power to preserve our skies and also our quality of life,” Farmer added.

Source: Massachusetts town approves new bylaw to restrict Amazon drone deliveries: “Like David and Goliath” – CBS Boston

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:16

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Drone meets bobcat: Police find novel use for UAV after wild animal breaks into Seattle-area home

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Bobcat in house at top of stairs

Most high-tech police drones are deployed for high-speed chases or search and rescue missions, but officers in Kirkland, Wash., recently launched one indoors for a wilder reason: tracking a live bobcat sitting at the top of a resident’s staircase. According to a Kirkland Police Department Facebook post, the incident unfolded in the Moss Bay neighborhood last week after a resident heard loud banging inside their home and called 911 to report a break-in.

Responding officers expecting a human burglar were surprised to find the intruder was a bobcat. In order to maintain a safe distance and manage the response, officers deployed an unmanned aircraft to monitor the cat’s movements inside the home. The bobcat was corralled into an isolated room until the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived, according to the Facebook post. The bobcat was sedated and later released near Forbes Creek, close to the natural habitat where it was found.

The bobcat is believed to have climbed a tree and jumped through an open window to gain entry possibly drawn inside by the resident’s cat, which was later found unharmed. The indoor operation highlights how Kirkland has expanded its use of aerial technology since launching a public safety drone program in 2022. Managed centrally across the city’s Police, Fire, and Public Works departments, the program maintains five aircraft and 17 FAA-licensed pilots specifically trained for tactical searches, search-and-rescue missions, and scene documentation. Police recommend that if a bobcat enters your home, move people and pets away from the area and call 911.

Source: Drone meets bobcat: Police find novel use for UAV after wild animal breaks into Seattle-area home – GeekWire

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Psalm 103:17-18

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Roseville Fire plans major drone expansion to speed emergency response

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advanced agricultural drone spraying crops

What once required firefighters on the ground can now be done from the sky, and Roseville Fire says it’s only the beginning. While drones have been part of the department’s toolbox since 2020, fire leaders are now looking to expand the program with a long-term vision of placing a drone at every fire station in the city. The goal is to launch drones to emergencies within moments, giving firefighters and police real-time aerial intelligence before crews arrive on scene. Within about a minute of a request, firefighters can already have a drone airborne, streaming live video back to incident commanders.

“We can see if we’re starting to get thermal runaway, an incident that might be too dangerous to put people in,” said Roseville Fire Captain Jonathan Davidson. “We can start getting video and transmitting it down to people on the ground who need that intel.” Davidson became the department’s first licensed drone pilot when Roseville Fire launched its drone program in 2020. Now, city leaders are looking at the next evolution of the technology. “They want to put a drone on every single fire station in town,” Davidson said. “That drone can launch from the fire station, and there would be a person in the control center able to fly that drone and provide the aerial reconnaissance.” The expanded system would allow drones to respond automatically to vehicle crashes, fires and other emergencies while being operated remotely from a centralized control center.

Fire officials say the added aerial perspective can help incident commanders make faster, safer decisions before firefighters enter potentially dangerous situations. As the program grows, so will the need for trained drone operators. Roseville Fire Battalion Chief Thanh Pham believes military veterans are especially well-suited for the role because of their experience making critical decisions with limited information. “We’re pretty much problem solvers,” Pham said. “A lot of times in an emergency, we’re given about 60 to 70 percent of the facts and you have to take action. I think that’s a skill set a lot of veterans have that can translate to civilian life or the fire service.” That’s where the Veterans Workforce Alliance hopes to help, connecting former service members with departments building drone programs. “When an organization needs drones and drone operators, the military has them,” said Veterans Workforce Alliance board member Nathan Champion.

“About 200,000 military personnel transition out of the military every year, so that’s a perfect source for organizations that have that need.” For Davidson, the expanding drone program reflects how much the fire service has evolved over the past 25 years. “There’s so many different things that we do in this profession that are outside of just taking a hose into a burning building and putting water on the fire,” he said. From boots on the ground to eyes in the sky, Roseville firefighters say drones are becoming an increasingly important tool, helping crews gather critical information faster, improve firefighter safety and shape the future of emergency response.

Source: Roseville Fire plans major drone expansion to speed emergency response – CBS Sacramento

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

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Drone nearly hits United plane landing in Newark, pilot says

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A United Airlines passenger jet nearly collided with a drone as it was coming in to land in New Jersey on Friday, its pilot said. “We almost hit a drone,” the pilot can be heard saying, in air traffic control audio verified by CNN, describing the device as circular and roughly three feet wide, “about 100 feet below us.” The Boeing 737, carrying 106 passengers and 5 five crew members from Key West, Florida, landed safely at about 5:30 p.m. at Newark Liberty International Airport, with travelers exiting the plane at the gate as normal, United told CNN in a statement.

Another pilot flying into Newark on a United Express flight operated by GoJet Airlines also reported seeing a drone at roughly 2,000 feet, according to ATC audio from around the same time. There are around 100 drone sightings a month near US airports, according to the Federal Aviation Authority, though the agency prohibits the use of drones in controlled airspaces or near manned aircraft without official permission.

Source: Drone nearly hits United plane landing in Newark, pilot says | CNN

Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Ecclesiastes 7:10

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Ukrainian drone specialists to deploy to Middle East to help defend US bases

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person filling big farming drones with liquid

President Donald Trump called upon the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, military and police to “lay down their arms” against the U.S. and Israel.

Source: Iran live updates: Ukrainian drone specialists to deploy to Middle East to help defend US bases – ABC News

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
2 Corinthians 8:12

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New giant pandas from China arrive in Atlanta zoo

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