Indiana Department of Natural Resource's Law Enforcement Division Welcomes UAS
After approval from the FAA and the state, members of the Indiana Department of Natural Resource's Law Enforcement Division will now have access to small UAS.
By providing real-time video footage, the unmanned aircraft will be used to help guide rescue personnel on the ground, as they search for missing and endangered people.
“The SUAS machines will greatly enhance our ability to bring quick resolve in finding lost children, hikers, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and injured people,” said Captain Keith Dinn, Support Services Assistant Commander, in a press release.
“The training and expertise our certified pilots have received gives me confidence that our officers and other emergency responding agencies will have a much higher rate of success in locating citizens in need with a much quicker response time.”
Currently, conservation officers in Districts 2 and 4 have access to the drones, with officers in District 10 set to receive their unmanned systems soon.
Via the Chicago Tribune, Terri Millefoglie, public information officer for District 10, said, “it's going to give us a birds-eye view and we will be able to respond quicker. We're going to be able to see something and get right out to it.”
Specific instances in which the drones could be used include situations where shelf ice is blocking vision from the ground, as well as helping to determine if a person is upstream when floods occur and a bridge or tree is blocking sightlines.
