Selectboard weighs $17,449 drone purchase for emergency response and school safety

The Kensington Selectboard spent a substantial portion of its meeting weighing a proposal to buy a drone as part of an emergency-operations plan to support search-and-rescue and school safety.

A presenter told the board the model under consideration carries thermal and high-resolution imaging, has a flight time of roughly four to seven minutes per battery, and would cost approximately $17,449 including training and basic accessories. The presenter said training for FAA small-aircraft certification would be required and estimated multiple classes; the board discussed the cost of certifying officers and the operational limits of having only one initially trained officer.

Board members and residents probed whether the device was necessary for Kensington, where some said staffing levels and the town’s footprint may not justify the expense. “I don’t know — I have some discomfort with the idea of a drone over my house,” one member said, voicing a privacy concern that others echoed. Several residents recommended sharing training with nearby towns to double the number of certified officers without doubling the cost.

Staff noted available year-end funds that could partially cover the purchase and flagged the ballot/warrant timelines: warrant articles are due on the 13th if the board wishes to refer funding to voters. The board did not approve the purchase at the meeting and directed staff to refine cost estimates, explore shared-training options with neighboring towns, and return with more specific funding scenarios (purchase outright, split costs, or place a warrant article for voter approval).

No formal decision or vote was recorded; members framed next steps as further information-gathering before a substantive funding choice.