08/18/2026
EXPANDING UAS TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY & FIRST RESPONDERS
Sentinel Robotic Solutions (SRS) is proud to announce another expansion of our UAS training capabilities supporting fire service, law enforcement, emergency management, search and rescue, and other public-safety organizations.
SRS can now incorporate NIST Standard Test Methods for UAS – Levels 1 through 3 into our training and pilot proficiency programs.
Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, these standardized test methods provide an objective and repeatable way to evaluate both UAS capabilities and remote-pilot proficiency.
The progression provides increasingly challenging evaluation of real-world piloting skills:
🔹 Level 1 – Basic Proficiency / Safety Checkride
Establishes fundamental aircraft control, positioning, alignment and precision landing skills.
🔹 Level 2 – Maneuvering Trials
Expands into more advanced open-area maneuvering using multiple standardized flight paths and objectives.
🔹 Level 3 – Payload Functionality Trials
Adds the workload of operating the aircraft while simultaneously managing the camera and sensor payload—including positioning, zoom, exposure and identification of targets.
For first responders, proficiency is about much more than simply knowing how to fly a drone.
During a real incident, pilots may be required to safely maneuver an aircraft while simultaneously operating sensors, identifying hazards, maintaining situational awareness, communicating with an incident team and providing actionable information to decision-makers.
The NIST methodology gives agencies a standardized and measurable benchmark for evaluating those skills rather than relying solely on flight hours or subjective assessments.
Adding NIST Levels 1–3 to our training capabilities complements SRS’s existing UAS programs, including FAA Part 107 training, public-safety UAS operations, emergency-response training, utility and infrastructure inspection training, and advanced hands-on flight instruction.
Our goal remains the same: develop safe, capable and mission-ready remote pilots who can effectively employ UAS when it matters most.
We look forward to bringing this additional capability to first responders and public-safety UAS programs throughout Virginia and across the country.
Sentinel Robotic Solutions:
Training today for the missions of tomorrow.
