Volunteer firefighters respond to various emergencies including search and rescue situations, law enforcement incidents, as well as burning buildings and wildfires.

In recent years, they’ve found the use of drones make their efforts easier in finding lost hikers in remote areas, detecting the origin of fires, and providing security for large-scale community events.

Firefighters such as Kale Geiswite, of New Berlin Fire Co., fear that the federal government will prohibit the use of the Chinese manufactured DJI drones.

Countering CCP Drones Act, legislation passed by the U.S. House last year, would ban the drones from operating on U.S. Communications Infrastructure.

However, when Congress finalized the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the Countering Drones Act was not included.

The fear that DJI drones pose national security risks has been unfounded, according to Geiswite.

“There is no evidence of it happening,” he told a small gathering of fellow firefighters and those representing state and federal lawmakers at the DuBoistown Fire Department.

DuBoistown, Old Lycoming, Laporte, and New Berlin are among the volunteer fire departments comprising Active Task Force 81, using drones for emergency response efforts.

“We want to keep doing our jobs for our communities,” Geiswite said. “A lot of people have been reliant on the technology.”

Drones, he and other firefighters noted, are simply invaluable in many emergency situations, providing better detection and communication, and state-of-art technology that otherwise is not possible.

A ban on DJI drones would mean using the much less technologically proficient and more costly American-made drones.

Firefighters claim there is simply no comparison between the drones that come out of China and those manufactured in the U.S.

“It’s important that public safety people have the tools they need,” State Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, said.

But he also noted that government intelligence agencies have apparently investigated the very possibility of foreign infiltration in the U.S. using DJI drones.

“There is obviously a concern,” he said. “We don’t know what intelligence agencies know.”

One person questioned if perhaps the drones are being sold in the U.S. at cheaper prices than the American-made drones as a means of flooding the market with them to use for nefarious purposes.

“Do they (Chinese government officials) want to get these drones into American hands?” she asked.

Geiswite noted the much-reported drone sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere created “knee-jerk” reactions to the possibility of state legislation to combat drone threats.

He said he would certainly go along with banning DJI drones if evidence is found they are indeed being used by a foreign government to get access to sensitive information.

He asked why there is such a focus on the DJI drones when in fact other devices used by Americans such as phones and GPS equipment include Chinese components.

“Again, there is no evidence,” he said.

“We do know we want to keep doing what we do.”

Joe Hope, deputy chief, Old Lycoming Township Vol. Fire Co., said a ban on the DJI drones will simply make it difficult for volunteer firefighters to provide the best possible resources for their communities.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, he outlined his concerns.

“As members of the Task Force, we, along with many others, believe that the crucial role drones play in public safety-especially in saving lives-has been overlooked. Drones can cover much larger areas than ground search crews can. Their thermal imaging technology enables the detection of missing persons, fire hazards, and provides incident commanders with an effective scene assessment.

“Drone technology is advancing rapidly in the public safety sector, allowing for quick searches, hazard identification, and even the delivery of vital equipment when needed. Furthermore, drones often help keep human responders out of harm’s way by allowing them to assess situations from a safe distance before intervening.”