Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District to acquire drones
The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District is set to be equipped with two drones after fire commissioners approved acceptance of a grant to cover most of the cost of acquiring the drones.
Following a budget hearing last week, Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Scott Wirth said he recently met with Lee County Emergency Operations officials about drones and did a demonstration with the county emergency operations center to test a drone during a fire training exercise.
Wirth said the department has looked into vendors for a drone and has gone out for a Florida Department of Law Enforcement grant for a drone with similar specifications to a drone operated by the Lee County Emergency Operations Center. The grant will allow the department to purchase two drones, with the state providing $50,000 in funding for the acquisition of two drones. District funds will cover the remaining $3,842 for the drones, Wirth said.
Wirth explained to the fire commissioners how a drone could be utilized in a research and rescue operation, or to find a lost kayaker or other missing person through the use of thermal imaging that the drones will be equipped with.
Wirth said the drone will weigh just a few pounds and will be about as large as a laptop computer.
“I think this is a tremendous opportunity,” Fort Myers Beach Fire Commissioner Ron Fleming said.
Fire district commissioner Jacki Liszak said the drones are “priceless” and could be used to find missing persons.
The fire commissioners voted unanimously to approve the acceptance of the $50,000 state grant and to approve the fire district spending $3,842 to cover the remaining cost of the drones.
Former commissioner Larry Wood to be honored
The council also voted unanimously to award a recognition of former commissioner Larry Wood as a commissioner emeritus and will honor him with a plaque in front of the new fire station being built on Estero Boulevard. Wood was the longtime chair of the fire commissioners and helped oversee the district’s plans for acquiring property for a new fire station and its planning. He was also principal of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School. Wood stepped down as fire commissioner last year.
To reach Nathan Mayberg, please email nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com