Fred Carlson Talks FDNY Drones and What Has Worked

Public Safety Drone Flight

FDNY lieutenant Fred Carlson started as a fireman on Queens Ladder 151 in November 2006 and has risen through the ranks since then. Promoted to lieutenant at the end of 2019 he now serves as in leadership of the FDNY Command Tactical Unit (the drone program).

Fred comes from a family aviation background. His mother and brother both hold Part 61 pilot certificates. His dad, uncle, and cousin served in the Air Force.

Fred and his pilots fly in some of the busiest airspaces in the United States and have found a way to make things work.

The unit Fred is with manages all sorts of robotics from underwater, ground-based, and airborne.

• One thing most new pilots don't know but should.
• How to filter marketing messages from reality.
• Words of wisdom for new departments.
• Thinking about compliance.
• Tethered drone systems and if they are helpful.
• What makes someone a good public safety drone pilot.
• Tips to start a drone program.
• How to help more people with a flight.
• The Incident Command App that FDNY uses.
• What happens when you put a monitor in front of the Incident Commander to watch a drone feed.
• What the most important skill drone pilots need to develop and it's not flying.
• The role of internal public relations for the drone program.
• How to say it is not safe to fly.
• Why it is important to avoid flying over people and how to get your drone into position.
• Visual Observers are mandatory.
• Integrating manned and unmanned aircraft.
• The challenges of managing the airspace.
• Dealing with news helicopters.
• What is coming to drones in public safety?
• How to avoid mistakes.
• Checklists.