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Commissioners discuss drone insurance and operational oversight; no action taken
Summary
Commissioner David Burrows and county staff reviewed drone liability, federal oversight, and insurance options as county use of drones expands. The board took no action and asked staff to return with proposals.
The Rogers County Board of County Commissioners discussed adding aviation/drone liability and physical-damage insurance to the county’s insurance portfolio as county departments begin using drones for official business.
Commissioner David Burrows summarized the exposure, saying the county currently has drones in the sheriff’s office and emergency management and may see more county entities acquire drones. He said Travelers (the county’s insurer) removed a law-enforcement aviation exclusion for the sheriff’s office but that coverages and deductible structures vary between law-enforcement liability and general liability. Burrows said the county’s options include keeping coverage through the primary insurer or seeking an independent drone-specific policy that would allow uniform coverage and limits across departments.
Key points from the discussion
- The independent marketplace requires detailed device-level information (year, serial numbers, operator certification) and will underwrite on that basis.
- The board discussed whether federal FAA rules and licensing affect county tort limits; staff said they were researching potential interactions between federal aviation regulation and state tort limits.
- Commissioners asked staff to compile a list of which county entities have drones, the devices’ specifications and proposed insurance quotes for consideration; staff suggested aligning any policy change to the county’s July 1 insurance renewal cycle.
No formal motion was made; the board did not vote. Staff will return with quotes and a proposed approach.
