Perry Fire Department drone alights on Wednesday fellowship

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The program of the Wednesday Fellowship took a flight of fancy this week when Perry Volunteer Fire Department First Assistant Fire Chief Brian Eiteman stopped in to demonstrate the department’s latest tech gadget: a remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone.

Eiteman discussed the drone in the theater of the McCreary Community Building for about 20 minutes before moving to a demonstration of the flying machine in the MCB gymnasium.

He said the unit — an Inspire I model — was bought for the fire department with a $6,911 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Resource Enhancement and Protection program.

Made by the Chinese company DJI Innovations Science and Technology Co. Ltd, the 5-pound drone features an aluminum-magnesium body with carbon fiber arms and detachable propellers.

Eiteman said the Inspire I will be used in search-and-rescue operations and is equipped to take still photos and video and also has forward-looking infrared, which uses a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation.

He gave examples of the use of drones in emergency situations, such as a case in northern Iowa last year of a young child lost in a cornfield.

“If you’re searching by hand, it may take you hours,” Eiteman said. “I could probably clear a 40 or 50 acre standing corn field in 20 minutes with this drone.”

The drone can be controlled up to a distance of 1.6 miles, he said, but FAA regulations require visual contact be maintained at all times. Eiteman said he is seeking FAA authorization to fly at night, which would be of further use in rescue operations.

He said the unit can carry a payload of up to 25 pounds, so it could carry a life jacket to someone in distress on a river or a lifeline to someone similarly in danger.

Drones can also potentially be used by criminals or terrorists, he said. For example, ISIS terrorists in Syria have reportedly converted low-cost drones into flying bombs. Eiteman said he gave a presentation to the Des Moines Bomb Squad and opened their eyes to a scenario in which a criminal could strap 3 pounds of military-grade C-4 plastic explosive to a drone and wreak terrible destruction.

A DJI Phantom, the model just below the Inspire I, was flown and landed on the lawn of the White House in February 2015.

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