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West Valley Police showcase drone unit, citing search-and-rescue, fire and evidence roles
Summary
Chief Colleen Jacobs hosted a virtual community meeting demonstrating the West Valley Police Department’s drone team. Lieutenant Burke described training, FAA requirements, equipment and routine uses — search-and-rescue, fire response, disaster surveying and evidence collection — and Officer Cali gave a live demo.
Chief Colleen Jacobs hosted a virtual community meeting to introduce the West Valley Police Department’s drone team and demonstrate how officers use unmanned aircraft for search-and-rescue, fire response and evidence collection.
Lieutenant Burke, who leads the unit’s presentation, said the department now fields 14 certified drone pilots. He described the training pathway as an FAA-approved online course plus an insurer-run pilot course, costing about $400 in total and requiring roughly 20–30 hours of study plus testing. "I've had batteries that last me anywhere from 40 minutes all the way down to 12 minutes," Burke said, underscoring limitations on individual flight time.
The unit’s fleet, Burke said, includes quadcopters used for interior and exterior work and a…
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