Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Drone With Thermal Camera To Help Local Law Enforcement With Search, Rescue & More
Ron Leal, director of Region 21 Emergency Management, holds a new drone with a thermal camera.
Ron Leal, Director of Region 21 Emergency Management, recently purchased a drone with a thermal camera.
Leal said the drone would help law enforcement in search and rescue operations. It will also be valuable for storm damage documentation, tower inspection, fires, and various other things.
Over the years, local law enforcement has repeatedly asked him if he had any such equipment to help in search and rescue operations, so he pursued the idea.
Leal received approval to purchase the drone from his board, comprised of county commissioners from the counties included in Region 21. Region 21 includes Kimball, Cheyenne, Deuel, Morrill, and Garden counties. Region 21 offices are in Sidney.
The $9,998 drone includes an $8,800 thermal camera with seven times the zoom and heat detection. It can fly in winds up to 45 mph and is password protected. From the spot of the controller, the drone can fly about a mile and a half.
Leal is FAA certified to fly the drone, and it is licensed in Nebraska.
Leal said, "The sooner the drone is deployed, the better the recovery."
The Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office has already deployed it.