May 9—Aerial footage and surveillance can be instrumental in locating missing persons, surveying disasters or pinpointing areas of interest, and a new team of youth and adults are training to become the area's first volunteer drone search team in effort to aid in emergencies while saving taxpayer funds.
On Saturday morning, the team of Civil Air Patrol cadets underwent training for the program, developed by Todd Mandel, president of AVCAP, and mission drone pilot Captain Roxanne Munns and Major Linda Zimmerman of the La Crosse Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.
The Civil Air Patrol's national headquarters provided the high-end search and rescue drones, which cost up to $5,000 each, for the project, while the La Crosse Community Foundation granted $3,000 for laptop computers. During search and disaster response operations, the images captured by drones are sent to and processed on computers for viewing and analysis by the incident commander.
Upon completion of training, which offers hands-on STEM and aerospace education, Zimmerman says, the team will be available on short notice to assist local firefighters, emergency management departments and law enforcement in multiple crisis scenarios.
"This is another unique public-private approach for La Crosse County," says Katie Berkedal, program director of the La Crosse Community Foundation. "Not only will it be a significant aid to search and rescue missions, but it's also a move that will save taxpayers thousands of dollars."
Mandel notes the cost for one hour of aerial search using CAP's standard aircraft costs about $90 per hour, versus under $5 per hour for drone operation. In addition to being a cost saver, the program "increases the likelihood that aerial assets can be brought into searches in the local area," Mandel says, and provides a broader scope of areas and quicker surveillance than a foot search.
"That's something we've not had here before. This project will establish the first cadre of dedicated volunteer drone pilots and equipment in the La Crosse area and will be the first of its kind across all of the Civil Air Patrol squadrons in Wisconsin," Mandel says.
Chason Mierau, 16, undergoes extensive training in many areas as a Civil Air Patrol cadet, and operating the drones adds more time and effort to his schedule. He must earn a part 107 certificate from the FAA and partake in multiple days of drone practice, but he says he is "very thankful to have this opportunity to be a drone pilot."
"I think a lot of kids would like being involved in this," Meirau says. "It's a lot of fun and very interesting. I've learned a lot of things."
Emily Pyrek can be reached at [email protected].
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