The Tuscarora Radio Controlled Flying Club donated a drone to the Schuylkill Township Police Department.

Ed Pollack, who made the presentation to the township supervisors at the March meeting, said his mother had developed Alzheimer’s a few years ago, and would frequently wander away from her house.

“Frank (DiMarco) and I discussed that situation, and the ‘what if’ scenarios with missing persons, and Frank also brought up concerns with code enforcement, accidents, and accessing inconvenient locations,” said Pollack.

After Pollack’s mother passed away last November, he thought that donating a drone to help assist in such situations would be a “good faith gesture.”

The Tuscarora RC Flying club provided the training and also the insurance to cover the drone for one year, and Pollack addressed all of the necessary filings, including the FAA, in order for the township to use the drone.

The club has also worked with Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage to be the source of training and information for all fire and police departments in Schuylkill County to utilize drones for search and rescue or recovery efforts.

During the presentation, Pollack and Schuylkill Township Police Chief Frank DiMarco presented aerial photographs taken of areas throughout the township to show how clearly and quickly the drone could cover larger areas that would take search and rescue workers on foot hours to cover.

DiMarco said that he has completed the training provided by the club and from the sports complex in the township, he can easily control the drone to cover most of the township area.