DRONERESPONDERS, billed as “the world’s fastest growing non-profit program supporting public safety UAS,” is bringing its message to Latin America.

During a recent workshop in Bogota, Colombia, the group announced a partnership between APD Humanitario and DRONERESPONDERS parent group, Airborne Incident Response Team to launch a Spanish-language initiative of the program. APD Humanitario is a non-profit organization that promotes the humanitarian use of drones for emergencies and disaster response.

The APD operates in six Latin American countries.  The group focuses on “representing, promoting and defending the well-being of all its members regarding their scientific, academic, social and commercial activities conducted with drones.”

APD plans to roll out DRONERESPONDERS across Colombia with hopes of spreading it to the rest of Latin America.  Initially, APD will work with Colombia’s emergency services organizations including Civil Defense Colombia, Firefighters Colombia and the Colombian Red Cross.

“The expansion of DRONERESPONDERS into Latin America is a clear indication of the increasing global demand for knowledge and education surrounding the use of drones for emergencies and critical incidents,” says Andy Jaques, Director of International Affairs for AIRT. “APD Humanitario is the perfect partner for us to expand the DRONERESPONDERS program across the southwestern hemisphere.”

AIRT officials hope the new project will expand to other countries outside of Latin America over time. Currently, the program includes 1,500 member organizations across more than 33 countries.

“The diverse cultures representing each region of the world, combined with distinct civil aviation authorities and various emergency response structures, will require a nuanced approach to the expansion of DRONERESPONDERS,” says Jaques.  “We are working closely with APD Humanitario to develop a model that can be expanded globally if required.”

In November,  DRONERESPONDERS unveiled a partnership with the National Press Photographers Association. The collaboration will promote safety guidelines between members of the media and first responders.

AIRT has also announced the inaugural Global Public Safety UAS Summit and Major Cities Meeting  to be held at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International XPONENTIAL 2020.