A partnership between the Vigo County Emergency Management Agency and the Vigo County Sheriff's Office in Vigo County, Indiana has resulted in the purchase of three UAS.

The UAS, which are available for use by both agencies, as well as for any public safety agency or government agency, are equipped with a camera and thermal imaging abilities.

The UAS can be used for a variety of operations, including surveying and search and rescue missions.

“We're looking forward to spending a lot of time flying these devices for maybe not necessarily public safety applications, or emergencies so that when we are called upon to do that, we'll have some pretty good, experienced pilots,” says Major of Operations Jeff Fox, via WTHI-TV.

A “Nixle 360 robo-call” will be put out to inform the public of when an agency will be flying a UAS. Fox says that the office wants to educate the public on the uses of the aircraft.

There are 18 pilots total, who will finish operations training this month. The pilots already have one of the FAA Certifications, and they are expected to get the second one soon.

As of right now, according to Fox, the plan is to begin flying the UAS on May 1.