New aerial option will aid in local searches

CHILLICOTHE – Although "birds may not like it," a new search-and-rescue drone that has come about from a partnership between Ross County Search and Rescue and MedFlight is expected to save lives.

Franklin Township fire Chief Mike Menendez, who also is the SAR team commander, said the biggest benefit of the drone is that, in a search situation, it will allow a much wider area to be covered at a much faster time. Often in searches, the speed at which someone can be found — especially if a medical situation is involved — makes a life-or-death difference.

"Extended search times can be a matter of life, serious injury, or even death," Menendez said. "The earlier we get to an injured person, the better. When we approached MedFlight, they agreed to partner with us with our drone project, in addition to serving the community with their medical helicopter as an extension of our services."

Menendez said Friday, during a test flight from the Yoctangee Park boat ramp, that the idea to partner on the drone came out of a casual conversation.

"I was talking to a couple of guys from MedFlight and I said: 'You know what Ross County Search and Rescue could really use? We need a drone,' " Menendez said. "Out of casual conversation, it just kind of evolved, and that's how we got it."

The drone, which the local SAR received about a month ago and will use on a trial basis in the next year, has a maximum range of up to 2 miles from the person controlling it, with a fail-safe button built in that, if pushed when the signal gets weak, will automatically return it to within 5 feet of its launch point using global positioning satellite technology.

The person controlling the drone uses a handheld remote and watches the view from the drone's high-definition camera on an iPad or, if necessary, from an iPhone. It can reach speeds up to 45 miles per hour if it had to and Menendez has the SAR drone capped at a maximum height of 1,500 feet, although it is operated well below that level. It can remain airborne about 30 minutes before needing a battery change-out.

Menendez said the drone will increase the chances of successful rescues and lessen the risk of maneuvers that would have been performed before by one of the members of the search-and-rescue team in tight quarters.

The benefits of a drone in search-and-rescue efforts have been seen in a pair of area situations.

Recently, an 86-year-old woman who was unable to communicate and suffered from later-stage dementia became lost in the woods one evening. The next morning, Pike County asked for the Ross County SAR team's help to find her.

Within one hour, the team, using a rudimentary drone, found the victim, who had been exposed all night to freezing temperatures. Authorities said the fast discovery once the drone was put into action likely saved her life.

In another case, a 2-year-old was found in Fayette County in less than an hour with the help of a drone in a search that would have taken hours to conduct on foot.

"The use of aerial drone technology is growing to the forefront of SAR missions, and while we often hear of the negative situations related to drones by amateur users, we wanted to take advantage of working with the Ross County region to safely and appropriately pilot a program that might use drones to save lives or, at least, limit the time that patients have to wait for first responders to get to the scene," said Tom Allenstein, president of MedFlight.

Federal regulations on the use of drones continue to evolve, with the Federal Aviation Administration in February having released a 48-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Small, Unmanned Aircraft. According to the website KnowBeforeYouFly.org, recreational users should follow community safety guidelines that include such things as keeping drones lower than 400 feet, keeping the vehicle within the line of sight of the operator at all times, contacting an airport tower if flying within five miles of one and not flying a drone while under the influence of alcohol.

For public entities such as law enforcement and fire departments, a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization can be obtained so long as the vehicle is being used for governmental functions and use has been evaluated for safety. Provisions of each COA are unique to each applicant.

The total cost of the drone and accompanying equipment is about $3,000, Menendez said.

The only problems the drone's operator need to be wary of, he added, are power lines, which can sometimes be difficult to see, and, of course, anything that shares the air.

"Certain birds don't like it," Menendez said. "I've had a couple issues when it's been dive-bombed by birds, but it's not really a (serious) issue."

cbalusik@nncogannett.com

740-772-9360

Twitter: @Chris_Balusik