Real Drone Training from Trainers with Real Mission Experience
Featuring an interview with Mike Briant, Chief Security Officer at Skyfire.
Skyfire Training Academy is unlike any other drone training available. Our real-world mission specific curriculum is run by public safety veterans with actual boots on the ground experience. We don’t simply read from a drone manual, our instructors leverage their years of experience to provide you the most up-to-date tactics and strategies for successful missions. Let us help you get the most out of your drones today.
With over 20 years of law enforcement, military and security experience, Mike Briant, chief security officer, leads our ‘Integration of UAS into Law Enforcement Field Operations’ course. This tactical course can be taken in full or be broken up into the sections which benefit you the most. Learn a little more about Mike below.
Q: What makes you an expert in this specific training?
Mike Briant (MB): Unlike others in our industry, I have been boots on the ground and have real world mission experience and teach from that experience, not just a textbook. As the founder of Skydas Group International, a wide spectrum strategic security consulting and threat management firm and a former United States Marine, a deployed, high threat security contractor working on behalf of the department of state in post conflict zones and a law enforcement officer, I have served in almost every role from a team member, rising through the ranks ultimately as the Program Managing Officer for Personnel Security Services in Southwest Asia. I have faced modern-day challenges in combating terrorism both domestically and abroad. I have direct experience providing security for US ambassadors, congressional delegations, multinational corporations and US and NATO military commanders. I also have operational experience in counter assault team operations, tactical support team operations, principal, personnel and asset recovery and extensive traumatic casualty care training. Our drone teams have provided drone security overwatch for Tier 1 sporting events such as the Super Bowl and other similar national entertainment events. We also have an amazing staff of similarly experienced trainers and instructors and for those reasons, that makes the Skyfire team uniquely qualified.
Q: How many years of experience do you have with tactical drone applications?
MB: I have over 27 years experience in law enforcement, military and security positions throughout my career. I have leveraged the innovation and use of tactical drone applications during the past XX years to provide additional safety, efficiency, accountability and effectiveness.
Q: Speaking from experience, what has been the biggest benefit to the departments who follow through with drone training?
MB: Knowing how to take advantage of all the benefits of a drone in tactical situations is vital for a successful program. The drone shouldn’t be an afterthought, it’s your first eyes to assess a situation, it’s an additional resource and it’s adding a new level of safety and accountability for officers.
Q: Why do you think every department needs to start a drone program? Can you provide a list of practical benefits for the community?
MB: The deployment of drones enhances officer response to emergency situations and adds an element of safety and accountability for public safety agencies and the community. They also aim to decrease response times, provide situational awareness and increase efficiency.
Benefits:
- Increased officer and community safety
- Significantly decreased response times
- Crew resource management–save unnecessary deployments
- Increased situational awareness before officer arrives on scene
- Real-time actionable data streaming to command center
- Increased Accountability
Q: Was there ever an instance in the field where you wish you had access to a drone?
MB: Where do I start? There’s never been an operation I’ve been involved with in which we couldn’t have benefited from a drone. The particular operation that comes to mind was the grand opening of a trade center in Afghanistan. It was a major event in the city with high ranking members of the military on both the US & Afghani side, and high ranking members of the Afghani civilian leadership which meant a high priority target for the Taliban. Instead of having resources allocated to providing security services within the inner perimeter, and having to rely on spacing of Afghani security forces with very poor communication to be the eyes and ears, we could’ve used a drone. A drone would’ve knocked down the communication barrier by feeding the information we needed straight to our control center.