Canonsburg considering drone program
Members of Canonsburg Borough Council are weighing the endowment of a formal public safety drone program after severe flooding in August tested the limits of the borough’s current, ad hoc drone efforts.
According to Borough Manager Jennifer Foster, Canonsburg staff and elected officials realized the need for an expanded drone program after they were unable to use its current drones during two severe floods that inundated the borough last month.
Foster confirmed that the Canonsburg Police Department owns two drones and boasts three Federal Aviation Administration-licensed pilots among its ranks, with one set to leave the department in the near future.
The two drones operated by the department are small and cannot fly in adverse weather, and do not possess thermal imaging cameras, leaving their functionality markedly limited, Foster said.
They currently see limited use in routine police activities such as search and rescue efforts.
The proposed program would create a formal drone program accessible to all borough departments, allowing borough leadership to enact formal training standards, operating procedures and pursue fundraising and grant writing opportunities, she said.
Foster said acquiring a larger, more advanced drone with thermal imaging cameras and the ability to fly in stormy conditions would represent a substantial benefit to the borough.
Purchasing such a drone would cost around $20,000, she said.
This advanced drone could be shared between the police department, public works department and other borough staff for a wide variety of uses, according to Foster.
“It’s a need we have,” she said.
Council discussed the matter during Tuesday’s agenda meeting, with Foster describing the conversation as productive.
“(The discussion) went well. Council is very receptive to this need,” she said.
A motion to create a formal drone program is on the Sept. 14 council agenda, Foster said.