American Legion Post 1992 donates robotic drone to Gautier public safety; council accepts donation

GAUTIER, Mississippi — The Gautier City Council on Aug. 5 unanimously accepted a donated unmanned aerial system from American Legion Post 1992 for public‑safety use by the police and fire departments.

The mayor read a short presentation summary that the American Legion and the Sons of the American Legion raised funds and contributions to purchase the drone as a donation to the city. The council made a motion to accept the device; the motion was moved by Councilman Minor, seconded by Councilman Jackson, and carried.

During the presentation the police chief described the drone’s capabilities, saying the system is valuable for search and rescue and for identifying people during fire incidents: “The biggest thing is, for search and rescue efforts… we got thermal imaging on here,” the police chief said. The chief also described live‑video feed capability for monitoring critical incidents from remote locations and noted the drone will aid in locating suspects who flee into wooded areas.

The mayor and council thanked the American Legion for the donation and noted the post also sent $4,500 to flood victims in Texas. The council did not enact any ordinance or contract tied to the donation; it simply voted to accept ownership of the donated equipment and for the police department to take custody of the device.