Sheriff’s Department tests new aircraft technology for search and rescue operations
Sharon Ollenburger has been a volunteer for Desert Sheriff’s Search and Rescue for 34 years. As the current president, she says she’s excited for the unmanned aircraft systems Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has started to test.
“Having this asset and getting us out in the field as quickly as possible will save a lot of lives,” says Ollenburger.
The sheriff’s department says these devices will make search and rescue operations quicker and less expensive than helicopters.
“The UAV’s cost about less than $25 an hour compared to a helicopter depending on how you calculate it upwards of $1000,” says Chief Deputy Kevin Vest.
Each of the two UAV’s the sheriff’s department is testing is 12 lbs with a 39 inch wing span. They’re operated by a two person team.
“It has different types of sensors in it, one of which is a high definition camera that they can then use to check for foot prints, shoe impressions, perhaps someone laying down in a bush or in some type of vegetation because they’ve passed out due to the heat, and then we can use that information to focus our search and rescue teams,” says Chief Deputy Vest.
“It’ll also take care of certain areas that might be too dangerous to send our volunteers into, and their safety is my utmost concern along, naturally, with finding the lost person as quickly as possible,” says Ollenburger.
The FAA has approved the sheriff’s department to fly the aircrafts within their training site located at Avenue 82 and Lincoln in Thermal.
They hope to be finished with the testing period within the next 90 days, just in time to possibly use these devices toward the end of the summer, if necessary.
“When you’ve been out on a multiple day search, it gets very wearing, on all of our volunteers, our personnel, so if this can expedite at all finding someone and keeping them alive, that’s what we’re looking for,” said Ollenburger.
