County praises drone team after locating missing toddler in Beaver Falls

Commissioners on Oct. 8 praised the Beaver County drone team after officials said a deputy director used a drone to locate and identify a missing 2‑year‑old child in Beaver Falls.

Commissioners noted the county has invested in several drones — including tethered units and multiple Matrice models — and that a recently purchased smaller Matrice enables faster response to scenes before the full team arrives. A county official said Deputy Director Kevin Noble of Director Eric Brewer's office helped field the drone that identified the child and relayed the information to authorities so the child could be returned to parents.

One commissioner said the drone investment "is good to see" and described the technology as helpful for missing‑person searches and structure fire responses the team attends, emphasizing that the purchases have provided operational benefits beyond preventative uses.

No policy or budget actions were proposed at the work session related to the drone program.