State police warn drones not allowed at Pops fireworks
Massachusetts State Police warned people on Thursday to leave their drones at home if they plan on attending the Fourth of July 42nd Annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.
"The general message is there won't be any private drones here. There won't be any government drones here. There won't be drones at all here. And the FAA takes this quite seriously so there are some potential ramifications for that as well," State Police Superintendent Col. Timothy Alben said Thursday at a press conference outlining the program and plans for the annual holiday concert and celebration.
Alben was joined by Gov. Charlie Baker, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Kurt Schwartz, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, Boston EMS Chief James Hooley, Boston 4 Productions' Steve MacDonald, and artistic director for the Boston Pops Dennis Alves.
The State Police say their main concern is that unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, tend to cause "undue concern" because the public may be unaware of who is behind the controls.
Colonel Alben added that there will be "strict" no fly zones in place starting Friday, July 3. The no-fly includes the area surrounding the Hatch Shell as well as Fenway Park where the Red Sox are scheduled to play an evening game against the Houston Astros.
Anyone who wishes to fly a drone in these areas would need to get a certificate from the FAA.
Baker echoed the colonel's concern for safety and applauded the efforts, saying "there have been some things that have been done here to make it even more safe and more secure over the past couple of years and we're looking forward to a great day."
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