On April 28, the UD Office of Emergency Management, partnered with the International Association of Emergency Managers @ UD Student Chapter (IAEM@UD), to host a workshop on the use of drones in emergency management. The event, held in alignment with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2025 Drone Safety Day, provided attendees with use cases for how drones can be deployed following disasters, how they’re used on campus and how the FAA certifies drone pilots.

Here at UD, the Office of Emergency Management has implemented a comprehensive Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) policy that ensures compliance with federal, state and local regulations and encourages all campus users to keep the following three steps in mind:

1. Understand campus flying requirements

• Visit the FAA’s website to learn about recreational and commercial drone operations.

• Visit the University’s Unmanned Aircraft System page for information on campus rules and to learn how to get approved to fly at UD.

• Download the FAA's B4UFLY app for more resources and real time updates.

2. Get certified

• If flying for class/research, you must take the free online TRUST test through an FAA approved vendor.

• If flying professionally, you must take the CFR Part 107 Knowledge Test at an FAA approved Knowledge Testing Center.

3. Start flying

• Finally, submit your flight application to the Office of Emergency Management and begin flying!

For more on drone safety or to register an upcoming flight, visit the University’s drone safety page at www.udel.edu/cps/policies/uas or e-mail uas-apps@udel.edu.