The Clear Lake Volunteer Fire Department announced that the Department has received an anonymous private donation to be used to purchase a remotely operated underwater vehicle to be used for search and rescue operations in and on bodies of water in North Central Iowa.
The Video Ray brand underwater drone is equipped with high intensity lighting, live feed video imaging as well as multi-beam high sensitivity sonar imaging capabilities. The device has the abilities to deliver marking devices and retrieval tools to located targets. The underwater drone will be able to be deployed in open water as well as ice covered bodies of water. The department has accepted delivery of the device and training will be provided by company representatives to fire department members here in Clear Lake within the next two weeks.
The underwater drone will augment the existing capabilities of the Department’s fire boat “Bud” plus provide greatly enhanced search, rescue, and recovery capabilities during the winter season when the lake is frozen over. The Fire Department staff and the underwater drone will be available for mutual aid responses to area fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and search and rescue squads.
After the training of department staff the drone will be operational immediately.
