S.D. Emergency Management Team to Purchase Drone
Nov. 10--Brown County's emergency response team plans to purchase a drone to aid in numerous emergency situations.
"This could be an outstanding tool for first responders for protecting property, savings lives, protecting lives..." said Brown County Emergency Management Director Scott Meints to commissioners during this morning's commission meeting.
"I think this is a thing that emergency services are going to use everywhere. Even to get in on a house fire to see from up above," he said.
Meints said the drone model is manufactured by DJI and will be purchased from Bob's Photos in Bismarck, N.D., for around $4,000.
A set of backup batteries and an IPad put the total cost somewhere between $4,500 and $5,000. Meints said the sheriff's department will split the costs with Emergency Management.
"This model does come with what I call two remotes, one that will actually fly the aircraft and one that actually runs the camera," Meints said. "We've been talking about this for seven months now. We've been meeting with different agencies. The Brookings Fire Department was one we actually visited."
Meints said the department plans to have the drone up and running by the end of the year.
Follow @smarvel_AAN on Twitter.
Copyright 2015 - American News, Aberdeen, S.D.
