The Guilford County Department of Public Health – a division of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services – is going to finally get eyes in the sky thanks to the flood of money from the American Rescue Plan Act, which is still flowing through the governmental pipelines.
Specifically, the department is buying a state-of-the-art DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise drone with an advanced telescopic camera, along with extra battery packs as well as advanced GIS software and license.
In addition, as part of the $17,000 price tag, some members of the public health department will get training on how to use the drone so they don’t, say, crash it into a telephone pole or drop it in a lake.
Though flying drones can be a very entertaining past time, that’s not why the health department purchased the advanced highly portable light-weight flying craft.
The drone is going to be used for “the detailed scanning of wells [and] septic systems, and locating abandoned wells.”
According to a memo from staff to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, the technology “ensures team safety and operational efficiency.” It can often be difficult to properly inspect wells and septic systems from the ground, and the use of the drone should take a lot of legwork out of searching for abandoned wells.
Over the years, the cameras and imaging abilities of drones has grown and they’re becoming more and more popular for inspecting all sorts of things from the air.
The American Rescue Plan Act money going to the Health Department is part of a $50,000 federal grant that comes through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The funding may be used for any of what are considered “essential” public health programs or purposes; however, the money can’t be used to “supplant current state, federal or local funding.” In other words, it must be spent supporting somewhat special programs or extra items not covered in the ordinary departmental budget.
The health department is using the remainder of the $50,000 grant to support other programs and departmental training.
Yet another government department that now has the ability to spy on the residents. Maybe we should start making large signs that can only be seen from above expressing our feelings.
My question is could this be considered an illegal search of my property conducted without a warrant?
how does a flying camera 40’+ in the air spot a 6″ well cap covered with stuff or a septic field that looks like a lawn ? toys 4 boys ?
They’ll have GPS data telling them the locations and cameras on the drones that can zero in on the areas they need updates. They say it’s cheaper than hiring someone to drive to and photograph the area.
What is the normal diameter of a well? What is the width of the drone? Looks like another feel good expense and waste of money. Sure could be spent of road improvement so that emergency vehicles can make there way without tearing up the equipment, or police response times with enough police.
Is the Health Department required to get the property owners permission to fly a drone over private property and take pictures??? What type of inspection of septic systems can be done with a drone and cameras?? Please help me understand how this is best use of the money.
Nice toy at taxpayers expense.
So what happens to the $17,000 drone after Congress passes a bill (sounds like sooner than later) that will make drones manufactured by DJI (a Chinese company) illegal in the US?
Big government, big control no different than communism.
I cannot see how a $17000.00 plus Drone can spot wells and Septic systems from the sky. If I were a betting person I would bet that it will require a person being hired just to operate said Drone.
Look at the supplies that could be purchased with this money. Government funding may do the initial purchase but taxpayer money will be used every year to maintain said equipment.
It’s NOT government funding. We, the taxpayers are footing the bill.
AMEN !!!
Soooo, Why wouldn’t the Health Department simply use one of the many drones the Sheriff’s Department already owns and one of the many already licensed drone pilots to fly it?
Another boondoggle at the taxpayers expense. Apparently the people at the Department of Health purchasing department need to be more thoroughly educated to what the US Government has published about the Chinese manufacturer of the DJI drones. I would recommend that the Guilford County Department of Health review and reject this purchase in favor of some other manufacturer. This purchase sounds like an employee who has a DJI backyard drone as a toy thinks this is a good idea. Their only experience is limited to what happens in their backyard and Guilford County. It is about time that the local governments work on developing a world view of what is going on around them.
I think this could also be used by the guilford county tax department to inspect properties after the sales tax increase fails in November
This is the first step to charging for the use of well water in the County. It’s already happening in CA as residents and farmers are being charged monthly and yearly for the use of water from their well as groundwater is vital to the entire community. I’ve been following this story for several years and the charges started in Sonoma County about two years ago, and other cities and counties are following with their own charges. The state is looking at statewide charges in the near future.
It won’t take long for this thing to…………disappear.
Serious privacy concerns here. The stated purpose makes no sense. Unless it’s equipped with LiDAR or ground penetrating radar, it’s next use is spying. There’s too much of that at the Federal level now in our town?