Greenfield Adopts New Drone Ordinances

GREENFIELD, WI — As the price and availability of drones makes them more accessible to people and small businesses, Greenfield officials drafted new ordinances to head off any buzzing, flying issues that might crop up.

Officials on Dec. 5 unanimously approved a raft of new drone ordinances to protect schools, emergency situations, and to keep operators out of potential trouble.

In a Journal Sentinel article, Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt said, "The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) ordinance is intended to safeguard our citizens and first-responders. It places reasonable restrictions on the operation of drones around public gatherings, schools and law enforcement and firefighting operations."

According to the new ordinance:

• No person shall launch or land a drone outside of their visual line of sight.
• No person shall launch, land or operate a drone within one-hundred (100) feet of any
• person except the operator and assistant operator.
• No person shall launch, land or operate a drone within five hundred (500) feet of any festival, event, picnic, protest or public assembly of more than one-hundred (100) people.
• No person shall launch, land or operate a drone in a manner so as to endanger the safety of any person or property.
• No person shall launch, land or operate any drone within five hundred (500) feet of any emergency vehicle which is operating its emergency lights or siren. The same rule applies to any active police, fire or emergency response incidnet. It also applies to schools that are in session and jails.

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