Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear appeared with area elected officials and members and officials with the Lincoln Trail Area Development District Wednesday to announce the acquisition of a regional fleet of advanced search and rescue drones that will enhance emergency response efforts across the eight-county district.
LTADD Executive Director Daniel London said the drone fleet was made possible by grant support and a public-private partnership with Lincoln National Bank, and is a first of its kind achievement for the AD district.
“No other organization can boast this fact,” London said. “We can put nine aerial drones in the air in an hour and a half or less at any location in this region for search and rescue. Just ask eastern Kentucky or western Kentucky how important that would be to save lives.”
Beshear said the area development districts are a great asset to Kentuckians for the multiple projects they are able to facilitate. Beshear said the state is sadly well-practiced when it comes to disaster response, referencing the western Kentucky tornadoes and eastern Kentucky flooding, but emergency personnel across the state have worked hard to continue improving preparedness.
‘“Regardless of the causes, we know that we are seeing more natural disasters hit Kentucky and other parts of the United States, and what that means is, together, we can work to be better prepared,” Beshear said. “We can look after every single one and say ‘what’s the next step and the next one and the next one?’”
During the press conference, Beshear also presented an area community with some funding from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
“Today I have a check for the City of Vine Grove for $76,770 to install and improve sidewalks, crosswalks, and lighting,” Beshear said.
The funding for the drones also allowed LTADD to purchase an emergency response vehicle and establish a community support team to assist during disaster responses.
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