Will Employ Electrical Optical And Infrared Sensor Aboard Unmanned Aerostat

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) will test an aerostat (tethered balloon) at the Lebanon and Warren Correctional Institutions to evaluate its ability to help prison personnel make the facility safer by more quickly detecting and responding to security issues.  This testing is in advance of an operational assessment that is expected to begin in November.

The aerostat will be equipped with sensors capable of operating during the day or at night. The test is limited and will be conducted randomly between the dates of October 1-7, 2014, to test how well the equipment functions.  Prison personnel will monitor the information provided by the sensors to evaluate equipment capabilities.   

Starting in November, DRC in collaboration with the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center expects to begin a six month operational assessment period where the aerostat and other technologies will be evaluated as a part of day-to-day operations.  After a careful review of the operational assessment results, DRC officials will determine if these technologies can be integrated into normal operations and provide a cost effective solution to increase security.

The aerostat will be tested on prison grounds located at Lebanon and Warren Correctional Institutions located in Warren County, OH.

(Aerostat image from file)

FMI: www.drc.ohio.gov