Drones to the Rescue: Lee County’s New Tech Take to the Sky

You know, the first time I ever saw drones, it wasn’t in real life—it was in The Terminator movies. Those metal monsters were flying through the air, zapping anything that moved. Back then, drones were the bad guys, the stuff of nightmares. Fast forward to today, and drones are basically everywhere—and they’re actually the good guys. It’s kind of wild how much that’s changed.

We saw it big time during the last hurricane. Drones were up there helping search for people, check flooded areas, and even livestream conditions so emergency crews knew where to go. I even had a friend who lost their dog, and guess what they used to help track him down? A drone! I’m telling you, these things are superheroes with propellers.

And now Lee County is taking drones to the next level. The Lee Board of County Commissioners just voted to buy four new autonomous drones to boost public safety across the county. These aren’t your toy store versions, either—they’re top-of-the-line Skydio X10s, equipped with thermal and zoom cameras. That means they can spot heat signatures, check disaster damage, and help out in emergencies like post-hurricane search and rescue missions.

During Hurricane Milton back in 2024, these drones were already hard at work. They livestreamed footage right to the Emergency Operations Center the morning after the storm hit. That live view helped crews get to barrier islands faster, clear roadways, and restore access. Basically, the drones turned into extra sets of eyes in the sky—no cape required.

Right now, Lee County Public Safety already has one Skydio drone based at their main center on Ortiz Avenue and six others deployed in vehicles all over the county. With the new ones, they’ll be able to launch drones before first responders even arrive on scene. Imagine seeing what’s happening from above in real time—like a real-life video game that helps save lives.

And it’s not just about emergencies. These drones can do all sorts of cool stuff—surveying parks, inspecting bridges, mapping 3D images of buildings and water systems.

So yeah, if you ask me, drones aren’t the villains anymore. They’re the heroes. As long as they don’t suddenly start saying “I’ll be back,” I say bring on the flying robots!