ULM Awarded FEMA ASSUREd Safe Subaward to Provide Free Drone Training for First Responders

ULM Precision Ag & UAS Research Center is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a subaward under FEMA’s ASSUREd Safe program to provide free training for first responders on the use of drones and data collection during and after major disasters.

The FEMA ASSUREd program is a national project collaborating with many colleges nationwide to enhance emergency response capabilities through applied science and technology. This award will establish ULM as Louisiana's inaugural hub for training emergency personnel, including firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, and disaster recovery professionals, in essential skills related to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations, aerial data acquisition, and real-time situational analysis.

“We are proud to take on such an initiative at ULM, given the growing concerns surrounding the intensity of natural disasters. We hope with this initiative, we will be providing first responders the essentials to provide rapid response and recovery,” said Darrion Flunder-Jenkins, Director of the Precision Ag & UAS Research Center.

This initiative is completely free to first responders, as participants take part in a 2-day training that will combine classroom instruction with hands-on flight experience. Participants will learn the basics of drone operations in compliance with FAA regulations, how to gather high-resolution imagery and sensor data, and how to leverage geospatial tools for disaster assessment and response planning.

ULM’s role in this network of universities helping with the ASSUREd program will also involve the continuation of developing best practices and contributing research that support FEMA’s goals of integrating emerging technologies into national disaster preparedness and resilience strategies.

Course Information: 

FEMA: AWR-422 Intro to UAS Flight Operations 

This course is a 1-day, in person course that will prepare first responders with technical resources, knowledge, and experience to deploy UAS for a variety of emergency response scenarios. Content will cover rules and regulations, mission planning, airspace coordination, platform and sensor selection, risk assessment and mitigation, flight operations, data collection, and metadata retention.

FEMA: PER-407 Intro to UAS Data Analytics

This course is a 1-day, in person course that will prepare first responders with technical resources, knowledge, and experience to deploy UAS for a variety of emergency response scenarios. Content will cover rules and regulations, mission planning, airspace coordination, platform and sensor selection, risk assessment and mitigation, flight operations, data collection, and metadata retention. 

Course Dates: 

• July 29, 2025: FEMA: AWR-422 Intro to UAS Flight Operations
• July 30, 2025: FEMA: PER-407 Intro to UAS Data Analytics
• Aug 5, 2025: FEMA: AWR-422 Intro to UAS Flight Operations
• Aug 6, 2025: FEMA: PER-407 Intro to UAS Data Analytics

 

Participants must sign up for FEMA: AWR-422 Intro to UAS Flight Operations & FEMA: PER-407 Intro to UAS Data Analytics to receive full credit for the training.

Course Registration

Sign Up Guide .PPTX

Participants can sign up using the link below from the ASSUREd course catalog: 

 

PER-407 : Introduction to UAS Data Analytics for Emergency Response

https://assuredsafe.org/course/fema-introduction-to-uas-data-analytics-for-emergency-response/

 

AWR-422:Introduction to UAS Flight Operations for Emergency Response

https://assuredsafe.org/course/fema-introduction-to-uas-flight-operations-for-emergency-response/