Domtar Paper donated funds to help the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office purchase a drone. From left are Domtar General Manager Allan Bohn, HSM Chuck Thames, Interim Sheriff Larry McNeil, and Deputy Ryan Ellison, who will be the pilot of the drone. Ellison already has his licensure through the FFA, which will allow the MCSO to fly the drone legally on day one of its acquisition.
On Sept. 16, Domtar Paper made a financial donation to help the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office acquire a drone.
Officials had begun looking into drones for several reasons, but the main one was search and rescue. From July to September, officials had three community members go missing in Marlboro County.
In addition to boots on the ground, having an unmanned aerial view is efficient and effective when attempting to locate an individual and assess any threats.
Officials thanked Domtar for their continued support in MCSO’s efforts to serve citizens best and grow as a department.
Officials plan to announce once the drone is received but wanted to ensure they showed appreciation to Domtar and promoted transparency as soon as possible.
Deputy Ryan Ellison, who will be the pilot, already has his licensure through the FFA, allowing the MCSO to fly the drone legally on day one of its acquisition.
In addition to partnering with Domtar, the MCSO is excited to announce that they are working with Airworx unmanned solutions, a First Responder owned and operated business located in South Carolina, to purchase and implement the drone.
Officials thanked Domtar for their generous contribution and thanked the citizens for the opportunity to serve.