Tom Owen is the Senior Management Analyst for Air Operations at the Menlo Park Fire Protection District in California, where he leads the District’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, technical operations, and aviation technology initiatives. His work focuses on integrating DFR and traditional UAS operations into daily fire service response while supporting executive decision-making, FAA compliance, software platforms, pilot development, and operational readiness.
Before joining Menlo Fire, Tom spent nearly a decade working with public safety agencies across North America, helping them adopt UAS technology through leadership roles with Pix4D, DroneSense, and Kittyhawk. Working alongside hundreds of fire, law enforcement, emergency management, and critical infrastructure organizations gave him a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities of building, scaling, and sustaining successful public safety aviation programs.
Tom brings more than 40 years of experience in technology, mobile computing, wireless communications, and startup companies, combined with extensive operational experience as an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot. He also serves as Communications Discipline Lead for FEMA Urban Search & Rescue California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) and is a member of FEMA’s sUAS Ad Hoc Working Group. He is also a founding member of the California Regional Leadership Team (CalGRU), helping establish DRONERESPONDERS’ statewide collaboration network for public safety UAS professionals.
His work today is centered on helping public safety agencies move beyond simply operating drones toward building sustainable Air Operations capabilities that improve emergency response, situational awareness, and organizational resilience.