Gogebic Search and Rescue team gets high-end drone

By P.J. GLISSON

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Bessemer - Now that drones are becoming much more common, greater numbers of people are using them for a variety of reasons, such as taking photos, fighting fires, treating crops, delivering packages, and monitoring traffic and weather.

Using a drone to enhance safety is also not unusual, and toward that end, the Gogebic County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit has been using one to take video in order to pinpoint exactly where rescue personnel need to be sent.

In fact, the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners recently funded the purchase of an $18,000 drone package for use by the search and rescue team, and - not surprisingly - members of the board's finance committee then wanted to see what the gadget could do.

Hence, one of the team members, Ben Tucker, provided a presentation on Oct. 26. Tucker said that the new drone, a DJI M-30T, is a considerable upgrade from the DJI Inspire-1 that the team had been using.

Using a laptop, he displayed the images that the new drone captured from more than 200 feet off the ground, where a shirt and pair of jeans had been set.

"You can see the stitching on the pants," said Tucker regarding the clarity of the image.

He explained that the high resolution will make it possible to see even impressions in the snow, which could indicate where a lost person may have passed.

Although the old and new cameras both have 4K resolution, Tucker said only the new one also has up to a 180X zoom, whereas the old one has none.

Tucker said the new drone actually includes four cameras, plus a laser-range camera with a dual battery capacity that allows "hot swapping" or the ability to switch batteries without losing memory.

"The old one was a single camera platform with a single battery," he said, explaining that it could run only about 11 minutes at a time.

Because the new drone includes a battery charger with six faster-charging batteries, Tucker said that search and rescue members will be able to use the video "almost indefinitely" during emergencies.

As for flight range, Tucker said the old drone could travel three miles, but only in fair weather, and it could not be used in any other conditions.

"I can go five miles on a clear day," he said of the new drone, which also operates in snow and rain and at night.

Moreover, said Tucker, "Our old one had no radar or obstacle-sensing capacity," whereas the new one will issue warnings of obstacles so that the likelihood of collision is minimal.

If the unit ever did fall, it has GPS capacity to track it down, and the unit is insured and under warranty.

In addition, Tucker said the new unit also is much quicker to set up and less bulky to store.

Regarding the overall advantages of the new drone, Tucker noted that it obviously allows for greater public security. Beyond that, he said it's also "a huge benefit to us in terms of our personal safety."

He emphasized that the drone, which the team has had for about a month, allows exploration in areas that otherwise could endanger them

So far, Tucker is the only member of the team certified to fly the new drone.

However, Deputy Josh Elias told county finance committee members that he has completed the required 16 hours of training in Escanaba. He also soon will earn certification in Duluth or Marquette from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Tucker said that the FAA sets the rules on drone use.

During the Oct. 26 meeting of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Ross Solberg stated that he wished to "personally thank" the board for funding the new drone.

"We had an individual lost in Bessemer Township," said Solberg. "Without the support of the drone, that minor incident could have become a major incident."

Tucker said the old drone, which was purchased for $11,000 several years ago and now would have netted only $800 in trade-in value, has been kept by the team.

"It will serve as a back-up aircraft, and it will serve as a training aircraft," he said.

Tucker also later shared with The Globe the broader nature of the search and rescue team.

"We're an all-volunteer unit," he said, explaining that the roughly 20 members come from all walks of life. For example, he said that, in addition to Elias, the team also includes a nurse and an emergency medical technician. He said his own employment is as a road worker.

He noted that the team has existed for about three decades, having started roughly in 1991.

"I've been with it for nine years," he said.

Tucker assured that the Gogebic County Search and Rescue Unit works cooperatively, as needed, with public safety units, such as sheriff's offices and police and fire departments, in Iron and Ontonagon County, as well as with the Michigan State Police.

"We pretty much will respond to any need," he said.

The Gogebic County team has a brand new pick-up truck, a side-by-side with both wheels and tracks, an inflatable boat, and a 6-wheel drive Argo that is marketed for extreme terrains.

"Think of an ATV on steroids," said Tucker regarding the Argo, which he said is also amphibious. "It's pretty much like a mini tank."

The team also has a 16 x 6-foot trailer that stores rope and a variety of other equipment for various conditions.

In order to be prepared for duty, Tucker said team members have completed 2,500 hours of training so far this year.

But he was less concerned with touting the team than other folks who help to make their work possible.

"There should be a thank you to all of the employers who let us go on a moment's notice," he said, adding that, after all, "We don't get to schedule these things."

During the demonstration, finance committees expressed gratitude for team members' work, remarking that they not only do "a lot," but also "do it under the radar."