Sheriff’s office to take to the sky
By Terry Murry on Monday, June 21st, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded two grants totaling $19,000 to go towards an unmanned aerial vehicle/radio repeater project. The two grants came from Wildhorse Foundation ($10,000) and the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Foundation ($9,000).
The project funds the research, procurement, and operation of a drone with heavy lifting capabilities able to fly to 200 feet with a powered tether while lifting a radio repeater. The WWCSO stated that in remote areas of the county, radio transmissions are problematic or in some cases impossible. By having a UAV with a repeater, it can be launched with a powered tether from an emergency vehicle allowing first responders to communicate with dispatch.
The repeater will be flying 200 feet above an emergency vehicle and take the transmission from either a portable or vehicle-based radio and send it to the nearest tower. This process eliminates radio transmission “dead spots” in the remote northern areas of the county and mountainous areas.
“This will bring needed emergency resources to people who live, work, or play in these remote areas,” Walla Walla County Chief Civil Deputy Ron Varner said.
