Drone technology gives Pharr a new perspective

PHARR — A hazardous materials incident at an abandoned hospital in Falfurrias earlier this month sent emergency crews in Edinburg and Pharr rushing to contain the situation. Behind the two HAZMAT teams was the Pharr Technical Response Unit, with a “Phantom” aerial drone that helped coordinate the 20-plus firefighters and emergency responders from Hidalgo and Brooks counties.

Using its onboard camera, the drone captured live video and photos from above the scene and broadcasted the images on a big screen mounted to the side of the TRU’s refurbished ambulance, transformed to a command and control center.

The real-time imagery allowed firefighters to map the area and quickly set up a plan of action, said Jason Arms, the city’s innovation and technology director.

“This truck allows us to take technology into the field. It’s equipped with satellite communications, radio communications and computers,” Arms said. “Police, fire and public works can use it – it’s like our own on-wheels geek squad.”

The upgraded truck allows Arms and drone pilot Rick Castro to use technology to assist departments across the Rio Grande Valley with state-of-the-art equipment.

“Never really thought of a HAZMAT, but the project keeps evolving,” Arms said. “We originally got it to survey land but, if we can save someone’s life or prevent them from getting hurt, we will.”

At least six Brooks County workers suffered symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and itching after being in the old hospital the day before the HAZMAT crews were called out. Inside, firefighters discovered old cans of paint and other chemicals along with mold on walls where the county employees had been working, according to authorities.

The drone used in Falfurrias measures about one foot in diameter and has an onboard 14 megapixel camera that connects to any display with GPS and Wi-Fi technology. It can fly up to 300 meters and accelerate to a maximum speed of about 30 miles per hour.

The TRU unit has had it for about seven months and this wasn’t the first time they used the aerial device for an emergency response. When a woman from Pharr was kidnapped in broad daylight on Oct. 30, the drone surveyed the crime scene for evidence.

“We are discovering new ways to use it,” said Gary Rodriguez, the city’s spokesman. “It is a tool to help the city of Pharr stand out from the rest.”

City officials have also utilized the drone to snap overhead pictures of concerts, survey land for economic purposes and help with video for the city’s marketing campaigns. In the summer, the drone assisted Hidalgo County by taking pictures of a tent city that sprouted outside a McAllen immigrant processing center during the influx of unaccompanied minors.

But due to their growing popularity, surveillance drones have raised significant issues for privacy and civil liberties.

“It seems like there are a lot of concerns about drones,” Rodriguez said. “To fly a drone is a lot of responsibility; there are a lot of people that own these kinds of drones and just fly them everywhere.”

Drones are capable of highly advanced surveillance already in use by law enforcement. They can carry various types of equipment including live-feed video cameras, infrared cameras, heat sensors, and even radar, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to defend civil liberties in the digital world.

Some military versions can stay airborne for hours or days, and their high-tech cameras can scan entire cities, or alternatively, zoom in and read a milk carton from 60,000 feet. They can also carry Wi-Fi crackers and fake cell phone towers that can determine one’s location or intercept texts and phone calls. More advanced drones can also carry non-lethal weapons such as tasers or rubber bullets, according to the foundation.

The drone owned by Pharr is not a military drone, but one that can be purchased as a “toy” at a retail store or online for around $1,500. The only restriction is that it does not fly over 400 feet or near an airport.

The city initially bought the drone to conduct aerial land surveys and help them enhance their mapping, but its workload has expanded to other purposes.

“The drone has already paid for itself in value,” Rodriguez said. “This investment helps us paint a better picture of our community. We can use it for economic development, for public safety, emergency response, land availability, and marketing.”

Pharr is not the only entity using drone technology in South Texas. San Juan police own a similar drone that they use specifically for emergency, tactical or hostage situations accompanied by a search warrant, Police Chief Juan Gonzalez said.

Earlier this year, Texas became one of six states in the U.S. with federal approval to conduct drone testing. Texas A&M University began conducting drone tests in January at a ranch in Sarita in Kenedy County for environmental research.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has utilized Predator B drones since 2010 in the search for illegal crossings from Mexico. Also in 2010 the Texas Department of Public Safety began a two drone system costing $295,500 for covert surveillance and border security in an area north of Edinburg, but was later cancelled after experiencing issues with the technology, according to DPS documents.

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