Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office unveils drone command vehicle

Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett talks with members of the media on Nov. 16 near Old McDonald's Farm in Sale Creek. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office unveiled the new Unmanned Aerial Systems Command Vehicle. According to the Sheriff's Office, the vehicle allows pilots to work with the drones in "multiple workstations in a controlled environment." Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett talks with members of the media on Nov. 16 near Old McDonald's Farm in Sale Creek. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office unveiled the new Unmanned Aerial Systems Command Vehicle. According to the Sheriff's Office, the vehicle allows pilots to work with the drones in "multiple workstations in a controlled environment."

By Ellen Gerst November 25, 2022 3 min read

A new drone command van unveiled last week is set to help Hamilton County first responders streamline search and rescue missions, crime scene investigations and other operations.

The vehicle is the first of its kind to be used by law enforcement in Tennessee, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Hamilton County has used drones since 2016, Sheriff Austin Garrett said. Eighteen pilots from the Sheriff’s Office and Hamilton County Emergency Management are now certified to fly them.

So far this year, the county’s drone team has used the aircraft in around 670 missions for a total of nearly 500 miles flown, according to the Sheriff’s Office.