Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Program

The Henderson Office of Emergency Management (EM) Director Kenny Garrett is committed to conducting highly professional flight operations. Safety is always the top priority, and the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) team consistently strives to demonstrate the effectiveness of their program.

Our sUAS drone program adheres to federal regulations (FAA Part 107), under which Garrett is certified to fly public safety missions. Compliance with Part 107 rules ensures detailed guidance to maintain the highest levels of safety and acknowledge that compliant sUAS operations involve adherence to all local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

EM has invested in DroneSense equipment and flight data management. Additionally, they subscribed to NovaMaps to organize flight data in 2D or 3D formats, enhancing the final output from onboard cameras for GIS/GPS-quality mapping.

In 2024, EM conducted 98 drone flights, 16 of which supported mutual aid operations outside of Henderson County.

Demolition of the Spottsville Bridge on US Hwy 60 East

EMA Drone Responses

• Damage Assessment Surveys
• Disaster Response
• Hazardous Materials Incidents
• Search and Rescue / Recover
• Water rescue operations
• Fire Scene Monitoring
• Infrastructure Inspections

Benefits

• Maintain situational awareness
• Greater Accuracy for Safe Response
• High Definition Photo & Video