Yellowstone County is now the owner of two new pieces of equipment which emergency services personnel anticipate will be invaluable to the county in many ways.
County Emergency Services Director K. C. Williams calls the units, Remote Deployable Surveillance Systems. Each unit is a solar battery powered video camera that is equipped with a sound system, siren, lights and thermal imagining.
The county was able to get the equipment through a grant from Homeland Security. The two units cost $68,000.
Sheriff Mike Linder rattled off a long list of ways he can envision using the systems. During any kind of large gathering of people, they can be set up to monitor the crowd and communicate with them whether it’s concerts, ball games, or protests on the courthouse lawn.
“It will be awesome for the fair,” said the Sheriff, explaining how they will be able to have the units set up on the fair grounds, and the audio system will allow officials to inform fair-goers with warnings about approaching inclement weather – something that has been difficult in the past.
When it comes to search and rescue, the thermal imaging capabilities will be a huge benefit in locating victims. Linder said that the thermal imaging will locate someone in the river much more quickly than with normal vision.
In fire -fighting the thermal imaging capabilities will be able to identify hot spots much more quickly.
If for some reason law enforcement needs to monitor some location or building, they will be able to do so remotely, reducing the level of personnel needed. In many ways, Linder envisions the equipment being able to relieve pressure on staffing levels, saving money and improving efficiency.
The potential exists that if the systems work as expected additional ones can be purchased to be located at outlying locations, such as fire departments, where those departments can set them up to serve in situations to aid law enforcement.
A number of emergency services providers attended a training session last Saturday and have announced that the units are available and ready for use.
