DroneUp names chief of public safety

Chesapeake-based DroneUp has named Charles L. Werner its chief of public safety.

Werner will be charged with ensuring safety for DroneUp initiatives, including pilot training and certifications, strategic partnerships and best practices for using unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Werner served 37 years in Charlottesville’s fire department, serving as fire chief from 2005 through 2015. He retired in 2015 and served as senior adviser and deputy state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

A certified UAS pilot, Werner has served on boards for the National Council on Public Safety UAS, International Public Safety Association UAS Committee, and Virginia Public Safety UAS Council and a variety of public safety councils and committees.

DroneUp says he has more than 100 nationally published articles, he is a contributing editor for Firehouse magazine and contributes regularly to Urgent Communications magazine, sUAS News, Fire Rescue 1 and Domestic Preparedness magazine.

DroneUp provides commercial pilot management for data collection services and connects UAS pilots for commercial, humanitarian, public safety and government needs.