(Photo via Unsplash).
The City of Cortland Common Council authorized the purchase of two drones for its first responders at Tuesday’s meeting.
The drones will cost the city $10,678, according to the resolution from Tuesday’s meeting agenda. The city will purchase an EVO Max 4T and a DJI Avata Explorer. Both are equipped with audio-visual and infrared capabilities, as well as all controllers, battery packs and accessories.
According to the resolution, the drones will be shared between the city’s police and fire departments. The drones are used for a “host of functions,” including search and rescue, tactical firefighting, hazmat identification and surveillance, barricade suspect/hostage situations, high risk search warrants, monitoring large events and more.
“It’s really endless,” said City police sergeant Ryan Riley at Tuesday’s meeting. “The basis of the whole thing is the safety of the officers and firefighters.”
City police officer Matt Maniaci, along with Sgt. Riley will be involved with the drones, said city police chief Paul Sandy on Tuesday. Sandy added that both officers are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified operators of the drones.
Sandy mentioned at Thursday’s Police Commission meeting that EVO Max 4T, the larger drone, can detect whether a subject is a wild animal or a person.
“You can tell what’s being picked up,” Sandy said, noting this particular drone reaches 12 miles.
DJI Avata Explorer, the smaller drone, has bumpers equipped to protect its propellers from running into a wall or an object, Sandy said.
