arlingtonn-blog

[arlingtonn-blog]

Unmanned Drone Crashes

I have concerns about unmanned drones flying over the City of Arlington. Of course there is the concern over who is going to fund the cost of this.. "Taxpayers" But the safety and privacy concerns far outweigh any benefit this may have for our city.

If you look at some of the articles below it might raise a few questions for you as well.

War zone drone crashes add up

Combat by Camera

The unmanned craft were rushed into use in 2001 and some design and system problems were never fully addressed.

The U.S. military often portrays its drone aircraft as high-tech marvels that can be operated seamlessly from thousands of miles away. But Pentagon accident reports reveal that the pilotless aircraft suffer from frequent system failures, computer glitches and human error.

Design and system problems were never fully addressed in the haste to push the fragile plane into combat over Afghanistan shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks more than eight years ago. Air Force investigators continue to cite pilot mistakes, coordination snafus, software failures, outdated technology and inadequate flight manuals.

Thirty-eight Predator and Reaper drones have crashed during combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and nine more during training on bases in the U.S. — with each crash costing between $3.7 million and $5 million. Altogether, the Air Force says there have been 79 drone accidents costing at least $1 million each.

Accident rates are dropping, but the raw numbers of mishaps are increasing as use of the aircraft skyrockets, according to Air Force safety experts.

Even now, the planes are not designed for the amount of use they're getting, their defenders say. The 27-foot Predators and 36-foot Reapers operate under conditions that put enormous stress on the light drones — and the humans who operate them.

"That's a lot of flying," Cassidy said. "Some get shot down. Some run into bad weather. Some, people do stupid things with them. Sometimes they just run them out of gas."

In the 12 months ended Sept. 30, the Air Force reported 16 Predator and Reaper accidents. Four involved crashes during a 15-day period in September. On Sept. 13, a pilot inside a ground station in Nevada lost video and data links to a Reaper over Afghanistan. As it was about to exit Afghan airspace and crash, an F-15 pilot was ordered to shoot it down and ground troops recovered the wreckage to keep top-secret technology out of insurgents' hands.

In another case, a drone crashed into a Sunni political headquarters in Mosul, Iraq. No injuries were reported.

In some cases, a cause is never determined and no wreckage is recovered. On May 13, 2009, a crew in Nevada lost contact with a Predator, and it was listed as "presumed crashed" somewhere in Afghanistan, according to an Air Force report.

A 2007 study by the Air Force Research Laboratory found that up to 80% of Predator crashes involved some degree of human error. Updated studies attribute more recent accidents to inadequate manuals, crew coordination mistakes and crews being asked to perform tasks for which they are not fully trained, according to an analysis by the Air Force and a private contractor.

Unmanned Drone Crashes, Sparks Fire

Jason Kadah Meteorologist/Reporter, KPHO CBS 5 NewsPOSTED: 5:36 pm MST January 25, 2011UPDATED: 6:37 pm MST January 25, 2011

TUCSON, Ariz -- An aerial drone crashed near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona Monday afternoon.The base has confirmed that one of their Shadow UAV drones went down a couple miles north of Rugge-Hamilton Airfield. The crash sparked a fire which burned through two acres.Tanja M. Linton, a Media Relations Officer at Fort Huachuca, said the cause of the crash is under investigation and no one was hurt. Fort Huachuca is home to the largest unmanned aerial systems training site.

Note: If this is one of the nations largest training sites for unmanned aerial systems then how do you expect a local police department to handle this equipment.

Unmanned drone crashes on base

That marks the second crash in a week

Updated: Thursday, 28 Oct 2010, 11:08 AM MDT Published : Thursday, 28 Oct 2010, 11:07 AM MDT

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AP) - Holloman Air Force Base says an unmanned MQ-9 Reaper has crashed on landing at the southern New Mexico base — the second unmanned craft to crash at the base within a week.

Base officials say the Reaper, which is piloted remotely, was returning from a training mission when it crashed at about 5:35 p.m. Wednesday. A board will be convened to investigate the crash.

Holloman says no one was injured and no private property was damaged. Last Friday, an MQ-1 Predator crashed on landing at the base, also as it returned from a training mission.

Both aircraft are part of Holloman's Remotely Piloted Aircraft Flying Training Unit. Another Predator crashed at the base on Sept. 11, 2009.

Note: Two crashes in one week.

Mexican aerial drone crashes in backyard of El Paso home.

December 16, 2010 8:43 PM Diana Washington Valdez El Paso Times

EL PASO (AP) — An unmanned drone belonging to the Mexican government crash landed Tuesday in El Paso's Lower Valley, officials confirmed today.

"I was told that it crashed in somebody's back yard, and that no one was injured. I was paged at 6:28 p.m. on Tuesday, so it happened shortly before that. We were told it was not a police matter," said Detective Mike Baranyay, a spokesman for the El Paso Police Department.

The crash occurred at Yarbrough and Loop 375.

Police said the U.S. Border Patrol seized the aircraft, which was to be transported back to one of the international bridges so that Mexican officials could recover the drone.

____

Read more about this story in tomorrow's El Paso Times. Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at (915) 546-6140.

NATO unmanned drone crashes in E. Afghanistan

KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- An unmanned aerial system of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) crashed Thursday in eastern Afghanistan's Wardak province.

The ISAF confirmed the incident in a press release, noting that the force has recovered the crashed plane.

The aircraft is a lightweight, short-range reconnaissance and surveillance system and contains no weapons or intelligence that could be exploited by "enemy forces", said the press release.

The drone went down due to mechanical problems, it said. 

[arlingtonn-blog]

Arlington Fire Department will again take applications from public

ARLINGTON -- If you've always dreamed of riding around on firetrucks putting out blazes and rescuing people in harm's way, the Arlington Fire Department just might give you the chance.

To help prepare for a coming wave of retirements, the department will soon open its application process to the public for the second straight year. Last year, a class of 15 trainees was selected from more than 1,900 applicants.

The department also created the position of recruiting lieutenant and promoted Nick Mundell to it in September.

Both moves are designed to help cast a wide net for applicants as the department prepares for a large number of potential retirements, Fire Chief Don Crowson said. Up to 20 trainees will be hired this year, he said.

"Literally half the department could retire right now," Crowson said, explaining that it is the result of a hiring boom in the 1980s. "To replace a large number of people, we need a large pool of quality applicants."

Opening the process to the public also helps attract Arlington residents who want to serve their community, Mundell said.

"They may want to get more invested," he said. "They grew up here; their family is here."

Casting a wide net

Until 2008, the department accepted applications only from certified firefighters. That year, it allowed certified EMTs and paramedics with no firefighting experience to apply. Those applicants attended the department's first fire academy in 20 years.

Like the trainees selected last year, those chosen this year will attend a three-month program leading to certification as EMT-intermediate. If they pass, they will become city employees and enter the 16-week fire academy. Trainees already certified as EMT-intermediate will report on the first day of the academy.

To spread the word, Mundell has visited area high schools and attended job fairs at Tarrant County College and the University of Texas at Arlington. Many students want a job in community service, he said.

Such applicants "provide a good shot of youth when they come to take the test," he said.

Similarly, Mundell has worked with the leader of a National Guard program in Fort Worth that helps returning troops find jobs that match their military background. Military values are similar to the Fire Department's, he said.

Crowson said the 15 firefighters hired last year have proved to be a stellar class.

"They have been very well-received by the department," he said. "We're excited to have them."

'Purpose and meaning'

This year's registration period runs May 25 to June 15. The first step of the process, a written test, takes place June 27. Those who score among the top 250 will continue with a physical fitness test in mid-July.

Applicants must be at least 19 and have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Complete information, including videos, will be posted in coming days at www.arlingtontx.gov/fire.

The process offers people a chance to fulfill what might be a lifelong dream, Crowson said.

"We have a job with purpose and meaning," he said. "And we want people who feel the same way."

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

Patrick M. Walker, 817-390-7423

[arlingtonn-blog]

City Council Approves Incentives For "Possible" GM Expansion

The Arlington City Council yesterday approved tax breaks for a possible expansion of the city's General Motors plant. The incentives would give GM a 90-percent tax break on new construction over the next ten years. GM plans to invest 250-million dollars for the expansion of one of its plants across the country. It would add another 110 employees to the existing workforce. The company has yet to announce a timetable for making its decision on which factory will be expanded.

[arlingtonn-blog]

ARLINGTON, Texas - Two people lost their jobs and department policy has changed following the internal investigation of an Arlington police officer’s death.

Officer Jillian Smith was killed responding to a domestic violence call. The suspect, Barnes Nettles, also killed Kimberly Carter, his ex-girlfriend, and then himself.

Four months later the Arlington Police Department has finally closed the case. On Wednesday it released documents including the original 911 call that Smith was responding to.

The phone call placed on Dec. 28 is haunting now.

“I asked him to leave my house. He came over here and he bit me in my face and punched me in my head,” Carter said.

Within an hour Nettles took both Carter and Smith’s lives.

The internal investigation determined both a 911 call taker and dispatcher next failed to follow proper procedure. Both neglected to relay information about the shooting, potentially putting other officers in danger.

The call taker resigned and the dispatcher was terminated on Wednesday.

“The fire department’s prospective is it was a very serious issue. It did put the officers at risk,” said Fire Chief Don Crowson.

Also, Chief Theron Bowman has changed police policy regarding domestic violence responses. Two officers now follow up on calls instead of one.

However, Bowman said he isn’t sure if that will be a permanent change. It will be evaluated again in the future to determine if it is really necessary.