Marshall County court approves application for emergency-management drone grant

The Marshall County Fiscal Court on June 22 authorized staff to file a Kentucky Emergency Management grant application to replace the Rescue Squad’s drone, which the squad said is now “end of life.”

Mr. Kurtner told the court the grant request will be for roughly $22,000 and that the Rescue Squad will likely contribute toward the purchase to increase chances of receiving the award. He said the county must avoid China-made DJI drones when using federal or state funds: “we can't do GG DJI drones no more cuz they're made in China, and no federal or state money can be used to purchase products in China at this time.”

Kurtner described performance improvements in newer models — including extended battery life and a FLIR night-search capability — and called the equipment a useful tool in the squad’s response toolbox. He said parts and warranty support for the current unit are no longer available: “Rescue Squad's current drone is unfortunately what they call end of life.”

The court moved, seconded and approved a motion to sign and apply for the grant; no roll-call tally was recorded on the transcript. Chair remarks thanked Kurtner for pursuing grants that save taxpayers money.

The court’s approval authorizes staff to process the application and handle grant funds if awarded; Kurtner said the squad will operate the drone and the county will serve as the fiscal agent. Court members did not state a procurement vendor beyond noting the respondent will use a U.S.-approved supplier (Mr. Kurtner referenced a Florida vendor, Drone Nerds, in remarks).