Hi, I’m Paul Darley, thanks for coming to watch the June issue of Inside Darley.
As the summer rolls in, I’m sure you’ve heard the buzzing of drones in the sky. Drones have become a popular device in the past year, and the public safety industry is no different. Peter Darley pioneered our first introduction into the drone industry 12 years ago. At FDIC 2007 we introduced the Darley Stinger, one of the first drones designed for the first responder. Our first attachment is our Darley Drone PDF. In the attachment, you can find information about our team, and the drone products we offer, and you can see just how far we have come.
The drone market’s growth has been explosive, Goldman Sachs estimates the market for drones in the fire industry is worth $881 million. Our second attachment goes into this explosive growth and how fire departments use drones.
Public safety organizations are adopting drone programs faster than ever before. Our third attachment is an article from Robotics Business Review talking about how fire departments are utilizing their drone programs. Proper training is paramount to running a successful drone program. Because of this, we have begun providing drone training at our Itasca offices. Our training program goes through FAA regulations and provides hands-on training piloting drones. A great example of a fire department using their drones was firefighters at the Maroon fire.
FAMA recently released their report for new apparatus orders in the first quarter of the year. They reported a 7% increase in orders this increase makes this the strongest first quarter in almost 10 years.
FEMA grants start in the third week of July. Grants can be used to procure the funds need to replace old gear or help invest in a new program. Fire departments need to be active in the grant market.
Last month we hosted our annual Home Day. We saw a ton of support over 120 people attended the event. We had Vikki Hanson, FEMA’s Fire Program Manager speak about changes to SAFER and AFG Grant programs. Attendees also had a chance to meet 17 FAMA/FEMSA member companies and their products/services. Finally, Darley is proud to donate $25,000 to the newly formed MABAS Foundation to help support mutual aid efforts. The donation was made in the name of William J. Darley who loved the US Fire Service.
Thanks for tuning in to this issue of Inside Darley, have a great 4th of July, and like always if there is anything we can be doing to assist you we hope you reach out to us.
