New program addresses urgent training needs revealed by recent survey
DRONERESPONDERS Announces New National Training Program
AIRT, the non-profit organization behind the DRONERESPONDERS program, has announced a new initiative to improve drone training for public safety agencies across the country. The UAS National Initiative for Training and Education (UNITE) is designed to address critical gaps in training and leadership development identified in the group’s 2025 Government and Public Safety Sector Survey.
The survey gathered feedback from nearly 900 respondents. It revealed that 91% of remote pilots serve in collateral roles, meaning drone operations are not their primary duty. This structure creates challenges for agencies trying to maintain effective and reliable UAS programs.
One major finding from the survey was a lack of training resources and succession plans. Only 26% of agencies reported strong satisfaction with their internal training abilities. Even fewer—just 18%—were “very satisfied” with external training options. Furthermore, only 31% of agencies have a formal plan to handle pilot attrition. This makes it difficult to ensure the long-term success of many programs.
Building Stronger Leaders and Programs
More than 76% of respondents said their agencies would benefit from more training focused on UAS program administration and management. UNITE aims to fill this gap by equipping program managers with the skills and knowledge they need to build strong, resilient teams.
“For over 10 years the public safety community has been waiting for the development of a national standard for remote pilot training and UAS program management,” said Charles Werner, Director of DRONERESPONDERS. “UNITE will fill that gap by establishing un-paralleled, world-class curriculum designed and taught by instructors who are undisputed leaders in public safety drone program management and operations.”
UNITE will provide flexible learning options to help agencies build next-generation UAS teams capable of tackling a range of missions. The program will offer three main pathways:
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Online Learning: Starting with the UAS Leadership Series, an online, three-part course that guides current and future program managers through every stage of leadership growth.
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Regional Events and Workshops: Hands-on training sessions held across the country to boost practical skills.
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Custom Training: Tailored modules designed to address unique challenges and specific needs faced by individual agencies.
Leadership for the Future
AIRT has appointed Jason Day as the DRONERESPONDERS Deputy Director, Training, to lead UNITE. Day brings experience from building and managing the largest public safety UAS program in the U.S. at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“I am very excited to work with DRONERESPONDERS to support the needs of public safety agencies across the U.S. and around the world,” said Day. “UNITE will help fill the gaps identified by AIRT’s research data by creating more robust public safety UAS leaders better equipped to develop and lead all types and sizes of drone programs for their respective jurisdictions.”
Looking Ahead
DRONERESPONDERS will hold a live webinar on Thursday, August 7 at 2:00 pm Eastern to share more about the survey and the new training program. Registration is now open at unite.droneresponders.org.
For more details on UNITE, to sign up for a course, or to learn about becoming an instructor, visit droneresponders.org/training.
About AIRT
AIRT® (Airborne International Response Team) is a non-profit group focused on advancing the use of drones and advanced air mobility (AAM) for public safety and emergency response. AIRT’s programs, including DRONERESPONDERS®, help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. To learn more, visit airt.ngo.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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