Floyd County Emergency Management receives new high-tech searching drone

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Floyd County Emergency Management Coordinator Jason Webster has been making the most of the warm weather this week, familiarizing himself with a new drone for his department.

Paid for through a grant from the Floyd County Community Foundation, Webster received a new DJI Matrice 30T last Wednesday, giving him a new eye in the sky to be deployed in emergency situations.

“They are the flagship brand for public safety,” said Webster.

The drone can be used to search for missing persons, track suspects for law enforcement, monitor the spread of grass fires or scout out areas where there is a danger of hazardous materials.

Along with a forward facing camera, the drone features three gimbal mounted cameras for wide view, zoom and thermal imaging, which dramatically improves its ability to operate at night.

“That’s the biggest sell,” said Webster. “Its biggest function is the thermal imaging.”

The drone has several other features that Webster appreciates as well, such as a built-in video display on the controller, a laser powered range finder, the ability to map an area and create markers, and even a dual-battery system that allows batteries to be swapped out without powering the device down.

The $9,600 drone came with two batteries, but Webster is hoping to get enough more that the drone could be deployed virtually indefinitely if needed, swapping in fresh batteries as others are charging.