Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

FEMA Grounds Private Drones That Were Helping To Map Boulder Floods

Posted by Unknown on from the we-don't-know-what-we're-doing-but-we'll-arrest-you dept.

First time accepted submitter MrMagooAZ writes "An interesting article about a questionable reaction by FEMA in response to the flooding in Colorado. It seems a small firm was working free of charge with County officials to use drones to map the area and provide near-real-time maps of the flood damage. When FEMA took control of operations one of their first acts appears to have been to not only ground the drones, but threaten the operators. 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help you?'" The drone model in question has permits from the FAA to be flown around even. The drones were replaced with manned craft that, due to the terrain, where unable to fly low enough to make useful maps.

3 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. American Exceptionalism and Moral Superiority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yes, I do! I find it quite amusing that America was schooled by Putin on exceptionalism.

    For a country one who claims to boast its own national exceptionalism and moral superiority. Yet, forgets to mention they are the holders of the largest national debt known to man. If you ask me. I find this fact hardly exceptional or superior ... heck it's not even moral!

  2. Perfect example of Federal Government fucking up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Local municipalities do very well at taking care of themselves in the event of a disaster, and all the federal government does is come in, screw everything up, and make it hard for the local community to get their promised reimbursement money after the disaster is over.

  3. Re:Could this be due to the helicopter operations? by girlintraining · · Score: -1, Troll

    Now I understand why you libertarians are all up in arms

    Now I know why you arrogant armchair internet pundits are all up in arms... but think how MUCH worse it would be if FEMA wasn't an organization with black helicopters and vast, unregulated, authority to do whatever they want... suddenly people would require a license or some other horrible restrictions to their civil liberties.

    All you knee jerking fox news watchers blow right past the safety issues that you assume won't happen. What's more important, knowing which ass to kiss, or locating people with accurate, realtime reconissance of an area? At first glance I was annoyed some anonymous fox news watcher was putting in seemingly retarded commentary, but after the first mention of the non-existant SAR helicopters I understood perfectly the rationale. You can't reasonably control the independent shadow government operators, so you can't be sure there won't be drones engaged in life-saving efforts by providing realtime intelligence with high resolution video photography. Yeah, I'll ground the drones.

    Now, civilian cooperation and outreach created terrorists and made the government look incompetent and therefore can safely be blamed for the government's desire to send people from far away, piss in the cheerios of those who have lived their all their life and have a desire to do good, and possibly arrest them... it's the next logical step. Don't weasel word into uselessness, use that brain to find a way :)

    Not an AC because I'm not a lazy bastard who wants to risk mod-bombing for my idiotic comments.

    --
    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie