Preface
This is the first edition of CSA EXP15, Remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) operator competency requirements for emergency services. This Express Document is not a consensus product; that is, it is not a Standard and it has not been formally reviewed or approved by a CSA Technical Committee.
CSA Group acknowledges that the development of this Express Document was made possible, in part, by the financial support of the Canadian Safety and Security Program, which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS), in partnership with Public Safety Canada.
Scope
1.1 Purpose
This Express Document (herein referred to as this Document) provides requirements and guidance relating to the safe operation of RPAS for the emergency services sector in Canada.
Clauses 4 and 5 provide requirements and guidance for the operator on the elements of an RPAS program and the ongoing management of an RPAS program.
Clause 6 covers competency requirements for personnel involved with emergency services RPAS programs.
This Document applies to the broad range of uses of RPAS by the emergency services organizations (herein referred to as the operator) but does not expressly speak to procedures for specific emergency service operations.
This Document does not apply to the use of underwater unmanned vehicles.
This Document does not cover operations involving counter-drone technology, which refers to systems that are used to detect and/or intercept unmanned aircraft.
Note: This Document is generally applicable to RPAS under the scope of TP 15263; however, this Document may be applied to smaller, sub-250g, RPAS. For any size of RPAS, the expectation is to apply existing requirements for all aircraft, as well as applicable requirements and best practices for the size of RPAS being used.
1.2 Terminology
In this Document, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the Document; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the Document.
Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.
Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.
Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.