Haye Kesteloo$5,000 to Umatilla County Search and Rescue team to buy a DJI drone
On July 9, Umatilla Electric Cooperative donated a $5,000 check to the Umatilla County Search and Rescue team to cover the expenses of a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drone and accessories.
“This drone has added functionality of spotlight, speakers and infrared camera,” Umatilla County Sgt. Dwight Johnson said, according to The East Oregonian. “It seems like a tailored aircraft for search and rescue missions. One of the things we can do, we can fly the drone and see if there’s an imminent threat to public safety.”
The Umatilla County Search and Rescue team already uses drones, but the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual offers longer flight times, the ability to fly in lower temperatures, a thermal camera, and 4K video.
Johnson added that this drone can also be used to communicate through a loudspeaker system either in real-time or through recorded messages. The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual has already been used in the search for a missing person in Baker County, Oregon.
“If we’re doing searches for those in difficult terrains, the drone becomes particularly useful,” he said. “The more tools we have, the more effective we can be and the safer everybody is.”
Johnson said that one of the main reasons for purchasing this particular drone is to help the volunteer SAR members.
“What I always like to emphasize is the volunteers and their dedication to the service,” he said. “Anything we can do to help them be more effective, like this drone, is great.”
Steve Meyers, a member service administrator at Umatilla Electric Cooperative, said that the company aims to help the community, and therefore chose the Umatilla County Search and Rescue team this time around.
“Our Board of Directors is always looking for new ways to help in the community, and this is one example of that,” Meyers said.
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