Milwaukee County Deputies Now Trained To Operate Drones

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI— This week the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office announced nine deputies are now certified Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Drone Pilots.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office currently has two drones that can be used at any time of the day, according to Faithe Colas, Director of Public Affairs & Community Engagement.

Every pilot has completed a three-day basic drone operation class. The pilots subsequently had to pass the FAA Part 107 test to obtain their drone license, Colas told Patch Thursday. The licenses expire in two years, but they can be renewed.

"The drone can be used as needed within Milwaukee County or if designated by the Sheriff for outside agencies," Colas said.

The primary use of these drones will be during search and rescue operations; natural disaster assessments; vehicle crash investigations; critical incidents; community relations activities, as approved by the Sheriff; training exercises and other situations deemed appropriate by the Sheriff or his designee.

The Sheriff's Office plans to share the technology with other departments.

"If an outside agency or another community wants to request the use of the drone, they can send a request to the Sheriff," Colas explained.

Formal proficiency training with the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is scheduled, at a minimum, once every six months, Colas told Patch. The MCSO conducts basic training with the UAS once a month to establish operating efficiency in different weather conditions throughout the year.