Open House for the NEMCo Air Squirrels April 30, 2026

Northshore Emergency Management Coalition (NEMCo) 

UAS Spring Open House
Thursday, April 30, 2026 from 6:30–8:00pm 

Shoreline Fire Station 51, 7220 NE 181st St, Kenmore, WA

Free admission • All community members welcome

When a wildfire threatens a neighborhood, a person is missing in a forested park, or floodwaters make roads impassable, getting the right information fast can mean the difference between a controlled response and a crisis. 

Increasingly, that information comes from above — and in Kenmore, Shoreline, and Lake Forest Park, it comes from a team of trained community volunteers.

The NEMCo Air Squirrels, a volunteer UAS (drone) program operating across North King County, have spent the last two-and-a-half years building something rare: a fully deployable, professionally structured aerial program staffed entirely by community volunteers. 

They work alongside Lake Forest Park Police, Shoreline Fire Department, the emergency manager, and public utilities to provide aerial incident support.

On Thursday, April 30th, they’re opening their doors to the community and inviting anyone who’s curious to come see what this program actually does.

The first part of the program features the volunteers explaining how the program operates. 

During the second half they will move outside for live drone demonstrations to give attendees a close look at the equipment in action, with pilots on hand to walk through specific missions and answer questions. 

The conversation will also cover how police departments, fire agencies, cities, and utility companies across the region are expanding their use of drones — and where volunteer programs fit into that picture.

The event also marks the opening of applications for the next semester of NEMCo UAS Ground School. The NEMCo UAS program has open positions across every level of operations — no previous drone experience required.

Volunteer roles include ground team support, air team operations, flight coordination, piloting, photo and video editing, 2D mapping, and live video feed management. 

You don’t have to do it all, but if you have an interest in an area, we can use you! All community members are welcome for this training. For students aged 15 and up, the training provides applied STEM knowledge with real operational context that no classroom replicates.

The Air Squirrels are not a government agency. They’re your neighbors — teachers, engineers, business managers, and retirees — who chose to build something useful for the communities they live in. 

The April 30th event is an invitation to understand what that looks like, and for the right people, a chance to become part of it.