Robert Robertson has worked for the Arlington, TX Police Department for 14 years and has been a member of the Unmanned Aviation Unit for 6 years. He currently supervises a team of 16 pilots, who average 25 missions per month. He also coordinated his agency’s integration with Homeland Security operations for the Dallas Cowboys, NCAA, and Texas Rangers. Robertson has worked in conjunction with the NFL Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) to become the first approved municipality to operate UAS in support of stadium operations during TFR’s. Robertson coordinates his agency’s 40-hour flight school to certify pilots to fly under their Certificate of Authorization (COA) and conducts monthly Unmanned Aviation Trainings that consist of both recurring and developing topics.
Robert is a Master Peace Officer, Part 107 licensed pilot, licensed FCC Radio Technician, and has experience flying over 15 UAS platforms. He is actively completing a Master of Science in Unmanned Systems, with a focus in sUAS. In addition to public safety operations, he has extensive electronic experience which includes building and flying FPV/racing drones.
Mark Brooks graduated from Indiana University and began his career as a Juvenile Probation Officer and joined the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) in 1997. Mark worked in multiple locations in the department which included a patrol officer, SRO, as a detective in Robbery/Homicide, patrol Sergeant, and as Sergeant in the Vice and Narcotics Division where he oversaw undercover operations and the service of over 80 search warrants a year.
Currently, he is Detective Sergeant and supervises two divisions, the Juvenile Division and the Digital Forensic Lab. Mark also served on their Emergency Services Team (SWAT). He returned to school and earned his master’s degree in 2007. Since then, Mark has taught over 300 college courses.
In 2021, Mark was selected for a position with FWPD’s Air Support Unit (ASU). Their team has 9 members who are all Part 107 pilots and currently fly a variety of drone systems that support several functions within FWPD. These missions include crime scene photogrammetry, accident reconstruction, critical incident (SWAT operations), overwatch, and search and rescue operations. Mark is scheduled to become the ASU Team Commander in 2022.
Cami B. Carter is currently employed as a Deputy State Fire Marshal-Hazmat Section with the Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office and is a certified hazmat technician. Miss Carter instructs first responders and government officials in the response and management of emergency incidents involving nuclear/radioactive material, community risk reduction, hazardous materials, terrorism incident management, and disaster preparedness.
Miss Carter has 18 years’ experience in local, state, and federal governments as a structural/wildland firefighter, mine rescue, drone pilot, EMT, hazmat instructor, fire captain, and instructor. She is the Underwater Drone expert for the state of Utah and is currently a Part 107 drone pilot instructor as well.
While serving in Wendover Utah, Miss Carter transformed and rebuilt a failing fire department from a voluntary department into a full-time/part-time station with certified firefighters and hazmat responders. Miss Carter ran the training program in hazmat/WMD/Fire one and two in Wendover as a Captain. In 2019, Miss Carter served with the Federal Forestry in California to fight wildfires. Miss Carter was one of the first firefighters to participate in a Police Tactical HazMat Operations course at SERTC in Colorado.
Ryan Putman has over 15 years of experience in the fire service. Ryan began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter with South Weber City Fire Department while also working as an EMT for Southwest Ambulance serving Salt Lake City’s 911 system.
Ryan became a career firefighter with South Davis Metro Fire Agency in 2009 and worked his way onto the HazMat team to become the Hazardous Materials Training Coordinator. In 2016, Ryan took a position as a Hazardous Materials Trainer with the Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office where he created and managed the agency’s unmanned systems program, which currently includes sUAS and submersible ROVs. The program is currently investigating adding UGVs and a virtual reality hazardous materials training platform.
Ryan is now a Deputy State Fire Marshal within the Inspections & Investigations Section bringing his drone and technology expertise to fire investigations and code enforcement.
Trent Hullinger has been a Police Officer with the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) since 2014, serving in the Operations (Patrol) Division. He joined the FWPD’s Air Support Unit (ASU) in 2019 as a FAA Part 107 Pilot. Their Air Support Unit assists with crime scene and crash investigations, tactical support on hostage and barricade scenes, missing and vulnerable person searches, and special events in their city and surrounding region. In addition to his ASU duties, he is a field training officer, background investigator, and is a member of the Peer Support Team.
In 2007, he completed his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Public Affairs with a specialization in Criminal Justice. Trent also received an undergraduate certificate in Risk and Emergency Management. In 2019, he completed his master’s degree from Arizona State University in Emergency Management and Homeland Security with a Biosecurity and Threat Management concentration.
Trent attended UTAC 2021 and thoroughly enjoyed the training conference. He hopes to provide useful insight from his law enforcement experience on the Air Support Unit to other agencies at UTAC 2022.
In 2007, he completed his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Public Affairs with a specialization in Criminal Justice. Trent also received an undergraduate certificate in Risk and Emergency Management. In 2019, he completed his master’s degree from Arizona State University in Emergency Management and Homeland Security with a Biosecurity and Threat Management concentration.
Trent attended UTAC 2021 and thoroughly enjoyed the training conference. He hopes to provide useful insight from his law enforcement experience on the Air Support Unit to other agencies at UTAC 2022.
Jarrett Broder is the Director of Special Projects for the Emergency Management and Homeland Security program at Florida State University and Deputy Director of the Center for Disaster Risk Policy (CDRP). He has extensive experience in traditional disaster response, deployments for UAS missions in the field and training public safety officials. Additionally, Mr. Broder has led research teams domestically and internationally performing a wide range of traditional emergency management and UAS related research. With a thirty year background in Information Technology, Mr. Broder is a member of the Disaster Incident Research Team (DIRT) and is one of the primary faculty members for the EMHS/CDRP Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program.
David Merrick is the Director of the Center for Disaster Risk Policy and the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program at Florida State University. His research and interest areas include emergency management planning and policy, remote sensing, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in EM, disaster logistics, crisis mapping, and information technology in EM.
David developed and oversees CDRP’s Disaster Incident Research Team (DIRT), deploying to disaster impact areas to perform field research on disaster and emergency management. DIRT provides UAS services in a variety of disaster contexts, including search and rescue, damage assessment, and other response activities as well as international disaster risk reduction projects.
DIRT has been deployed to Bay County, Florida in response to Hurricane Michael, Matthew, Harvey, Irma, Dorian, and Sally. David is the statewide UAS Coordinator and activates as part of the State of Florida’s Air Operations Branch. He leads the Florida UAS Working Group which develops best practices for disaster UAS operations in the state and in conjunction with FEMA Region 4.
As part of the applied research team at CDRP, he has extensive experience in emergency management training and exercises for all levels of government, facilitated plan review and development, developed bioterrorism preparedness programs, and has provided expert technical assistance on a variety of governmental EM projects.
David developed and oversees CDRP’s Disaster Incident Research Team (DIRT), deploying to disaster impact areas to perform field research on disaster and emergency management. DIRT provides UAS services in a variety of disaster contexts, including search and rescue, damage assessment, and other response activities as well as international disaster risk reduction projects.
DIRT has been deployed to Bay County, Florida in response to Hurricane Michael, Matthew, Harvey, Irma, Dorian, and Sally. David is the statewide UAS Coordinator and activates as part of the State of Florida’s Air Operations Branch. He leads the Florida UAS Working Group which develops best practices for disaster UAS operations in the state and in conjunction with FEMA Region 4.
As part of the applied research team at CDRP, he has extensive experience in emergency management training and exercises for all levels of government, facilitated plan review and development, developed bioterrorism preparedness programs, and has provided expert technical assistance on a variety of governmental EM projects.
Dr. Damon Jackson began his police career in 1995 as a non-sworn with the El Segundo Police Department. Two years later, Dr. Jackson acquired a sworn position as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He later joined the Air Force where he was assigned to Davis-Monthan in Tucson, AZ as an aircraft avionic mechanic.
He transferred to Anchorage, Alaska and joined the Alaska Air National Guard and has served over 23 years in the military and now fulfills the role of a Provost Marshal for the Alaska National Guard.
Additionally, since 2007, Dr. Jackson has served as an Anchorage police officer assigned to various departmental roles such as Honor Guard, EVOC instructor, PT instructor, Field Training Officer. Currently, he is assigned to the Crime Suppression Unit and Technical Support Unit.
Dr. Jackson is the UAS program manager and has operated various platforms of UAS and FPV racing drones. Their UAS team has 9 Part 107 certified pilots who support various functions within APD. The missions include crime scene and major collision documentation, overwatch, critical incidents (SWAT), and search and rescue operations.