Town drone program takes off

#Middlebury #Drones

The town’s two new drones sit on the parking lot pavement at Town Hall before one takes flight so the pilot, Officer Michael Terzigni, can demonstrate it for selectmen following their August 29 meeting. (Marjorie Needham photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Middlebury Police Officer Michael Terzigni, a licensed drone pilot, brought the town’s two newly acquired drones to Town Hall following the August 29, 2022, Board of Selectmen’s meeting. He explained the difference between the two – one is outfitted with an infrared camera and one with a regular camera – and then flew one of the drones over Town Hall as he discussed its operation.

He said the drone is highly automated and has a built-in gyroscope and an accurate GPS. “It knows where it is and where it wants to be,” he said, adding that the default for the drone is to return home if it loses contact with its operator. Terzigni said drones can be outfitted with accessories other than a camera. For example, they can carry a floodlight, or they can carry a speaker so the operator can speak to a crowd.

Town officials and members of the police, fire and public works departments attended a drone training at Schoolhouse Park July 7, along with first responders from area towns, some of whom brought drones their towns had purchased. Not long after that, a generous donor bought the two drones for the town.

Fire Chief Brett Kales, who attended the demonstration, said the fire department has a drone, too, but its drone goes under water. More on that later in this article.

The new drones will reside at the police department, but they will be used by three departments: Public Works, MVFD and the Police Department. Each has a use for drones.

One of Middlebury’s new drones flies above Town Hall. (Marjorie Needham photo)

Middlebury First Selectman Edward B. St. John said Public Works will use drones for developing road improvement projects. Once the leaves have fallen, they will use one to look at the Middlebury Recreation Area facility and see what needs to be done there. They also will use drones for roof inspections, looking at sewer rights of way and sewer pump stations and for assessing flood prone areas.

He said the town’s two licensed drone pilots, Officer Terzigni and MVFD volunteer Brian Proulx, who also is licensed to fly conventional aircraft, will train others. “We will go from there to get more people trained. Grounds and building crews are really excited about it,” he said, adding that Assessor Chris Kelsey will be trained, too.

Police Chief Patrick Deely said Terzigni already has taken a course on training others to become licensed drone pilots. Proulx likely will train others too.

The main benefit for the police department likely is use of the drone with the infrared camera. St. John said they could use it when a “desperado” is trying to evade capture. Deely said it also would be a big help in situations where a small child is lost. And he said sometimes police have to locate an adult who, for one reason or another, has wandered away from home.

Attorney and pilot Jennifer Yoxall, who organized the July training, said another use is a situation in which a vehicle is stuck on a rock in raging river. Instead of risking a first responder’s life determining if anyone is in that vehicle, a drone can be dispatched to do a visual inspection of it.

Kales said his department also would use a drone to help locate a lost person. In firefighting he said a drone with an infrared camera would have quickly located the hot spot in the fire at the 10,700-square-foot Janesky home in 2014. Due to the conditions inside and the size of the home, pinpointing the hot spot was challenging.

As for the underwater drone, he said it was purchased by the MVFD for use by the dive team when they need to locate a drowning victim. Kales said the waterproof drone has a tether attached to it and also has a claw that can clamp onto something. Once it is clamped on, a diver can follow the tether to the drone’s location.

He said this keeps divers from having to repeatedly dive to try to pinpoint a victim’s location. “They don’t have to keep going in the water,” Kales said.