Sheriff has an ‘eye in the sky’

WAXAHACHIE – Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman recently announced the formation of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Unmanned Aerial System Response Team.

This newly integrated team consists of seven members from the ECSO Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions. 

All team members are certified with the FAA as UAS – Part 107 Remote Pilots. 

They have all clearly demonstrated an understanding of the regulations, operating requirements and the procedures for safely flying drones.

Each team member went through a rigorous training regimen. They completed day and night flight operations, flew indoors as well as outdoors, and learned about thermal imaging as part of their training.

The UAS, or drones, are equipped with spotlights, speakers, trackers, flare infrared zoom, range finder tracking system, a public address system, and forward-looking infrared cameras, which provide heat mapping capabilities to cover a large area within a few minutes.

The UAS Response Team will aid in search and rescue efforts, crime scenes, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions – and help deescalate potentially dangerous situations by communicating with people on the location. 

In addition, by using the UAS before entering an area, officers can tell just how dangerous or hazardous a scene could be.

“The future of aviation is here,” said Norman.