Interior Department Taps Drone Companies For 'Call When Needed' Services

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has awarded a "call when needed" contract to four U.S. companies for small UAS services. The contract will allow the agency to obtain fully contractor-operated small drones that are ready when needed to support wildland fire operations, search and rescue and other resource missions. "This contract reinforces our commitment to partnering with industry to provide our employees with the latest technology in carrying out their responsibilities as stewards of our nation's public lands while also ensuring their safety is paramount," says Ryan Zinke, DOI Secretary. "These contracted small UAS will supplement the manned firefighting fleet by providing the capability to operate during dense smoke/inversion situations which often occur and have heretofore hampered the aggressive prosecution of destructive wildfires," says Jeff Rupert, director of the DOI's Office of Wildland Fire.