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Weslaco approves purchase of additional drones using Operation Lone Star funds
Summary
Police and emergency management staff will purchase an additional drone package (about $51,000) using Operation Lone Star grant funds to improve live‑feed situational awareness for rescues, ditch inspections and emergency management; commission approved the expenditure.
The Weslaco City Commission on Aug. 5 approved using Operation Lone Star grant funds to buy an additional drone package, including hardware and software, to support emergency management and public safety operations.
Staff said the purchase—about $51,000 with no local match required—will provide live‑feed capability usable by patrol, fire and emergency‑management teams, allow real‑time situational awareness during rescues and flooding, and enable inspections of ditches and other drainage infrastructure. Staff described a QR‑code pairing system so feeds can be accessed on mobile phones from an emergency‑management room rather than waiting to download footage.
Why it matters: City leaders said the capability will improve response times and situational awareness during emergencies and is consistent with prior drone acquisitions; staff said the new equipment will be interoperable with previously approved units.
What they said: "This extra drone that we're going for is gonna be for emergency management to... provide situational awareness on the spot," the chief said, adding that the city expects a fleet of roughly seven drones once the purchase is completed and cross‑training is finished.
Next steps: The commission approved staff’s request to use the grant funds and directed staff to proceed with the purchase and cross‑training plan. Staff noted no additional local match is required for this expenditure.
