FAYETTE CO. PURCHASES TACTICAL ROBOT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, EMERGENCY RESPONDERS

  

A new tactical robot will soon be available for use by law enforcement officials and first responders in Fayette County.

The county has purchased a Vantage F3 robot from the company Transcend Tactical using a $30,000 grant funded by the United States Department of Justice and administered by the Office of the Governor.

Fayette County Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau said the robot will help protect officers or first responders when approaching a dangerous situation.

 

The robot comes equipped with a pan-tilt-zoom camera capable of night vision and thermal vision.  It can climb stairs and other obstacles, and can operate for three hours straight or for 12 hours intermittently.

Moreau said the purchase was prompted by local officers showing interest in the robot, in large part after an incident in 2018 where Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputy C.J. Lehmann was critically injured during a shooting at the Carter Motel.  Moreau said having the robot could have helped provide officers a better understanding of the situation at hand.

Moreau said the unit has been ordered, but has not yet arrived.  He said it will primarily be used by the Sheriff’s Office, but will also be available for use by other local agencies.

Moreau said the county is also working on purchasing rifle-resistant body armor for the Sheriff’s Office through a grant program similar to what was used for the robot.