CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — A fire department in Arizona says a proposed federal ban on new DJI drones and spare parts could cripple their emergency response programs.

Under the National Defense Authorization Act, if DJI — the Chinese drone manufacturer that dominates the U.S. market — is not formally audited for security concerns by Dec. 23, new DJI drones and replacement parts will be barred from entering the country.

At Regional Fire and Rescue in Casa Grande, drones are now nearly as essential as fire trucks.

“We started the unit in 2019, we’ve been to quite a few fires,” Air Division Chief Luis Martinez said.

Martinez said the department’s two DJI aircraft help firefighters detect hot spots, monitor structure fires and respond to hazardous materials calls. They have even used drones to d

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