ROSSFORD, Ohio — Local police and fire departments are demoing a new drone they say will protect the public and help get to people in need if they choose to purchase it.
First responders from Rossford and Perrysburg Township say the new piece of tech has quite a few bells and whistles.
The goal is to decrease the amount of time it takes to get police and fire to an emergency and it offers a new way to fight crime and serve the public.
It's not just any drone, though. For instance, it could be deployed for a river rescue on the Maumee River, among other uses.
"The actual dispatcher, whoever's piloting the drone, would be able to see what's going on and transmit that information to responding officers," said Rossford Police Chief Todd Kitzler.
He said that if first responders have two incidents at once, they would have a lot better response time with the drone.
"The drone's going to have the capability of speaking to people at the incident with the loudspeaker, it's got thermal imaging, it's got a range finder, there are all kinds of different accessories that you can add to the drone. They're going to aid in safety," Kitzler added.
State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, who was at the demo on Friday, says the drone would provide a variety of uses, specifically noting an incident in May when Perrysburg Township police responded to a scene and shot a person who allegedly was firing at officers.
"That drone asset could have been deployed through the use of spotlights or thermal technology, flown that route to see if that individual that was firing that weapon was still there if they were still planning to do harm to those law enforcement officers," Ghanbari.
As of Friday, no decision has been made on whether to buy the equipment, which would cost about $15,000.