1st Responders Could Be Allowed To 'Jam' Drones Under Proposed California Law
SACRAMENTO (KCBS) -- In Sacramento, a bill banning drones from interfering with first responders has passed the Assembly and is now in the Senate.
Utah's allows officials to shoot down drones, but officials here say it would be easier and safer to jam their signals forcing them to the ground.
The bill comes as Cal Fire made its first arrest last Friday of a hobby drone operator who got in the way of firefighting planes battling the Trailhead Fire on the middle fork of the American river.
57 year old Eric Wamser of Foresthill says he just wanted to see how close the flames were to his house so he sent up his drone.
But, Cal Fire says that grounded their planes for up to 30 minutes.
"If a drone like that were to go into a tail rotor, or a main rotor system, it could have catastrophic consequences," Pilot Jason Thrasher told CBS news last year.
Cal Fire is also investigating two other incidents of drone interfering with firefighting at the Trailhead Fire, operators have not yet been identified.
