Last November when a fire broke out northwest of Pipestone National Monument, the high winds fanned the flames in directions that were difficult to track from the ground.
Emergency responders will no longer have that problem.
The Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office recently purchased a law enforcement drone for $15,647. The bulk of the cost was paid for with donations from Pipestone Systems, Sioux Valley Energy and the Pipestone Jaycees.
The equipment will be used for specific tasks, and not for keeping watch generally like an aerial patrol car. Its specific missions would include search-and-rescue, fugitive apprehension, evidence collection, fires, accidents and weather events.
Those who pilot the remote craft must receive an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Remote Pilot Certification.
Lieutenant investigator Edison Dengler and Deputy Derek Claar, both with the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office, completed the classroom work and testing needed to secure the credentials and will be the only two in the department to fly the drone at this time.
The drone has both color and high-definition thermal imaging cameras. The thermal imaging sensors pick up the heat radiated from objects or people, allowing the users to find everything from hot spots after a fire to a lost child in a cornfield to a suspect leading them on a high-speed chase. They will assist all other emergency responders and county departments in any way the drone would be beneficial, Dengler said.
Special permits will allow the Sheriff’s Office to fly the drone where and when others cannot due to FAA restrictions: above 500 feet and at night.
Donations from local organizations helped pay for the Sheriff’s Office new law enforcement drone: $10,000 from Pipestone Systems through its Pipestone Cares program, whereby owners of Pipestone System-managed farms set aside money to be used in the local communities. Contributors were Buttercup Sow Farm, Rosewood Sow Farm, Hiawatha Sow Farm and Spronk Brothers, which are owners in all three of the sow farms. Sioux Valley Energy donated $2,500 through its Operation Round Up, raised by their customers who choose to round-up their electric bill to the nearest dollar. The difference in the rounding is placed into a trust account and awarded. The Pipestone Jaycees donated $1,147. Those representing the participating organizations are: Standing, l-to-r: Cody Heidebrink, Jaycees president; Donna Sanderson with Buttercup Sow Farm; Brandon Paluch with Hiawatha Sow Farm; and Bryan Keyper with Rosewood Sow Farm. Seated, l-to-r: Pipestone County Sheriff’s deputy Derek Claar; Seth Spronk with Spronk Brothers; and Pipestone County Sheriff’s deputy Edison Dengler.
The drone’s range is about five miles, though two miles will be the maximum distance. For safety and privacy reasons, Dengler said they need always to have a visual to be sure it’s not flying over people.
The drone can fly in up to 30 mph winds, has a maximum speed of about 50 mph, can be flown when the temperature is 14 degrees F or above, and has a battery-life flight of 25 minutes –– the Sheriff’s Office has eight batteries that are easily changed out, Dengler said. If the drone’s battery is low, it will fly back to home base automatically without being recalled. If something interferes with that homing, it will land wherever it may be. It will also fly back by itself if there’s a complete disconnection.
“It won’t ever just fall out of the air,” Dengler said.
Drones are not routinely used by Sheriff’s Offices in southwest Minnesota. Dengler said only Kandiyohi County and Mankato have them in this part of the state.
When asked if it’s fun to pilot the drone, a smile split Claar’s face before he said, “yes.” Both he and Dengler have their own recreational drones, but nothing like this, Claar said.
“You have multiple things going on at the same time with flying it and the cameras and so it takes a little while,” to master the piloting he said.