Lee County commissioners approved the purchase of four autonomous drones, an effort to enhance public safety and provide support for responders. The Skydio X10 drones cost about $136,000, but Lee County is seeking a $100,000 reimbursement from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the purchase.
The drones utilize thermal and zoom cameras for tasks such as assessing disaster damage and post-hurricane search and rescue missions.
After Hurricane Milton in 2024, their live view feature helped expedite the response to conditions on barrier islands. Lee County currently has a Skydio drone at the Lee County Public Safety Center on Ortiz Avenue and six others situated in vehicles across the county. They can be deployed by any first responder and operated remotely from the Public Safety Center.
Other uses include aerial surveys and 3D imaging of infrastructure.
At a meeting in the next 60 days, the Lee County commissioners plan to consider purchasing secure docks for the drones.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.