About me
Mr. Wayne Bailey is a highly experienced public safety professional with a career spanning nearly five decades. His public safety journey began in 1975, leading him to a pivotal role with the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) in 1995. At OSFM, Mr. Bailey contributed significantly as a Certification Specialist and Deputy Director, overseeing key areas such as training, certification, accreditation, and statewide ISO Inspections.In 2016, Mr. Bailey expanded his expertise to include uncrewed aircraft operations, obtaining FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot in Charge credentials by 2018. His extensive qualifications include international accreditation through IFSAC and ProBoard as an NFPA 1041 Level III Instructor, presenter, and Certified Chief Training Officer (CTO) by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program at the National Fire Academy.Following his retirement from OSFM in 2019, Mr. Bailey joined Blue Ridge Mountain Drones as Chief Pilot, specializing in drone instruction. He has since trained over 2,000 students across 200 FAA Part 107 classes, primarily within public safety, county, city, state, and federal governments and educational sectors. Additionally, Mr. Bailey serves as an FAA Safety Team Member and a designated FAA Drone Pro, consulting with North Carolina’s CTE and Law and Public Safety Education (LAPSEN) as their Drone Pathway Director.