In the early hours of Sunday, February 23, 2025, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) once again had the opportunity to showcase to the world just how valuable drone technology can be for law enforcement agencies. Located in the heart of Ohio, Franklin County is the most populous county in the state, with a population of more than 1.3 million. The majority of the county’s 544 square miles is made up of the county seat and state capital, Columbus.

Each of the county’s 16 cities, 10 villages, and 18 townships has its own dedicated police department. However, serving the whole county and ensuring that each municipality has the police protection it needs is the responsibility of the FCSO, currently under the leadership of Sheriff Dallas Baldwin. Sheriff Baldwin previously served with the Columbus Division of Police for more than 30 years. He was elected to office in 2017 after Sheriff Zach Scott decided to step down and run for Congress. Under Sheriff Baldwin’s leadership, the FCSO has shown tremendous success in embracing 21st-century policing practices through the use of technology like drones.

In 2017, the FCSO purchased three drones to complement existing police units. At least one of the drones was from Lockheed Martin. In 2015, Lockheed Martin, a Bethesda, MD-based defense and aerospace manufacturer, launched a program called Project Lifesaver. A select group of law enforcement agencies was chosen to pilot the Indago drone system for search and rescue missions. According to the Lockheed Martin website, “The Indago 4 Tactical Quadcopter provides 360 degree reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities with the introduction of on-edge computing to meet the broader missions of 21st Century Security. Indago 4’s proven mission benefits include man-packable design, low acoustic signature, long-endurance flight, and high quality optics.”

Becoming a part of Project Lifesaver, the FCSO’s Drone Unit, headed by Lieutenant Sam Byrd, continues to deploy drones to assist in police activities. The drones are used for a wide range of activities, which could include monitoring traffic, observing large crowds at public events, gathering evidence, or trailing a suspect. Sergeant William Chappelear, also a member of the FCSO Drone Unit, explained that the primary way the department uses drone technology is for search and rescue operations.

He explained that they find the drones to be of extreme value in helping to locate missing people. By having a drone as an eye in the sky, officers can quickly locate children or elderly patients with Alzheimer’s who wander off, or even hunters who become disoriented in the woods. Sergeant Chappelear went on to say that it is the thermal camera on the drones that makes all the difference when it comes to search and rescue missions. When it’s dark or there is low visibility because of obstacles like vegetation, a drone’s thermal camera will pick up a person’s heat signature, allowing Drone Unit officers the best chance at performing a rescue.

Sometime before 3 AM on the morning of the 23rd, FCSO deputies responded to a call about a car crash near Norton Road and State Route 665, near Grove City, a suburb of Columbus. Upon reaching the crash site, they found an empty vehicle with blood inside. A nearby resident told deputies that a young woman had stumbled to his doorstep, claiming she had been in an accident and was looking for help. She fled before the gentleman could get any more information from her. Deputies spent some time searching the area on foot, but due to the dark conditions, they could not find any traces of the woman.

Around 3:12 AM, a Drone Unit member decided to use the drone to see if they could locate the crash victim. Within 15 minutes, the drone’s infrared camera picked up the woman’s heat signature. She had fallen over a guardrail and down an embankment near Harrisburg Georgesville Road and Big Darby Creek, where she was hidden from view. The woman was suffering from multiple broken bones and frostbite, which had made it impossible for her to pull herself back up.

Sergeant Chappelear said that the woman was intoxicated and was taken to the hospital for treatment, but she was lucky to be alive. FCSO Chief Deputy Jim Gilbert said that the use of drones as search and rescue tools has proven to be critical policing tools. “The availability to have those deputies on duty with that technology and the use of that equipment was crucial in saving this woman’s life,” he said. By integrating cutting-edge tools like drones into their daily practices, the FCSO has proven that technology can play a pivotal role in saving lives and ensuring the safety of the community.

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