BUSINESS
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020
Umatilla County Search and
Rescue team receives drone
Good Shepherd
Health Care System
announces new CEO
Umatilla Electric
Cooperative covers cost
of the new equipment
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
By NADA SEWIDAN
STAFF WRITER
A new state-of-the-art
drone joins the Umatilla
County Search and Rescue
team to assist with rescue
missions.
Umatilla Electric Coop-
erative gave a check for
$5,000 to the team on July
9 to cover the cost of the
drone, a DJI Mavic 2 Enter-
prise Dual.
“This drone has added
functionality of spotlight,
speakers and infrared cam-
era,” Umatilla County Sgt.
Dwight Johnson said. “It
seems like a tailored aircraft
for search and rescue mis-
sions. One of the things we
can do, we can fl y the drone
and see if there’s an immi-
nent threat to public safety.”
Compared
to
other
drones in the fl eet, this new
model allows for longer
fl ight times and can with-
stand colder temperatures.
The drone also has two cam-
eras, a 4k video-capable vis-
ible camera and a lower-res-
olution infrared camera to
help with visibility in search
efforts. The infrared camera
on the drone is also used to
detect temperatures, which
will help locate warm bodies
of people who are injured or
lost.
Johnson said pilots of the
drone also can communicate
through a speaker system,
either in real time or through
recorded messages, such as
“Stay put, we will come to
you.” The drone has already
been used to search for a
missing person in Baker
County.
Johnson explained that
all the above capabilities
are helpful when looking for
missing persons, especially
Photo contributed by Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
The Umatilla County Search and Rescue team’s new drone, a
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual, takes fl ight.
“OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW
WAYS TO HELP IN THE COM-
MUNITY, AND THIS IS ONE
EXAMPLE OF THAT.”
Steve Meyers, member service administrator at Umatilla
Electric Cooperative
in challenging areas. The
drone can potentially help
fi nd people faster or give
rescuers a higher chance of
fi nding them.
“If we’re doing searches
for those in diffi cult terrains,
the drone becomes particu-
larly useful,” he said. “The
more tools we have, the
more effective we can be
and the safer everybody is.”
There’s a lot of con-
straints regarding drone
use. Drone pilots need to be
licensed through the Fed-
eral Aviation Administra-
tion. Johnson said they can’t
fl y above 400 feet, within a
certain distance of clouds,
beyond line of sight or faster
than 100 mph. The new
drone maximum speed is 45
mph.
The drone pilot also
needs to know the airspace
they’re fl ying in, and they
cannot fl y at night without
a waiver. Additional restric-
tions, depending on the mis-
sion type, disallow drones
from fl ying without airspace
clearance.
One of the key reasons
for purchasing the drone,
according to Johnson, is to
help SAR members as well.
“What I always like to
emphasize is the volun-
teers and their dedication to
the service,” he said. “Any-
thing we can do to help them
be more effective, like this
drone, is great.”
SAR is volunteer-based,
and all members go through
considerable training to be
part of the team. They are
not trained as law enforce-
ment offi cers, but they assist
in crime scene searches, and
once a scene is made safe,
they can assist in contain-
ing crime scenes. They have
also assisted with fl oods and
fi re evacuations.
Upon hearing about the
SAR effort, the UEC Board
of Directors voted unani-
mously to provide the drone,
according to Johnson.
Steve Meyers, mem-
ber service administrator at
Umatilla Electric Coopera-
tive, said the company seeks
ways to help within the
community.
“Our Board of Directors
is always looking for new
ways to help in the commu-
nity, and this is one example
of that,” Meyers said.
Good Shepherd Health
Care System has chosen
Brian Sims as its next pres-
ident and CEO.
Sims will replace Den-
nis Burke, who is retir-
ing after 32 years as Good
Shepherd’s CEO. Sims
begins Oct. 1, 2020.
“We are pleased to wel-
come Brian and his fam-
ily to the Hermiston com-
munity,” GSHCS board
chair Steve Eldridge said
in a statement. “After a rig-
orous recruitment process
including three excellent
fi nalists, the Board is con-
fi dent Brian is the right fi t
for our organization.”
According to a news
release, Sims has 10 years
of executive leadership
experience, most recently
as CEO of Lucas County
Health Center in Chari-
ton, Iowa, a fully accred-
ited 25-bed Critical Access
Hospital similar to Good
Shepherd Medical Center.
Sims grew up in Arkan-
sas, according to the news
release, and as a child
sometimes slept in the
hospital where his mother
worked as a nurse. His aunt
and several cousins also
work in health care, and
he said eventually he made
his way into the health care
fi eld as well.
He has Master of Busi-
ness
Administration
degree with an emphasis
in organizational devel-
opment from Upper Iowa
University, according to
the news release, and is
currently a Fellow with
the American College of
Contributed photo
Brian Sims will be the new
president and CEO at Good
Shepherd Health Care
System. Sims will replace
Dennis Burke, who is
retiring after 32 years.
Health Care Executives.
“When a person learns
what fuels their pas-
sion, they will never work
again,” he said in a state-
ment. “What I do now fuels
my passion and I am very
thankful to have an oppor-
tunity to serve GSHCS,
Hermiston and our little
portion of the world.”
Burke pointed to the
awards and other suc-
cesses of the hospital
Sims most recently led as
an example of why Good
Shepherd chose him.
“Brian has a strong
track record of proven
experience leading a Crit-
ical Access Hospital, with
an emphasis on contin-
ual improvement in oper-
ations,” Burke said. “He
is an excellent choice as
CEO and will build upon
our success here.”
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Dr. Shanley is welcoming new
patients, 6 months and older, for all
their primary care needs at Good
Shepherd’s Primary Care Clinic.
Dr. Shanley brings over 20 years
of Family Medicine expertise,
treating a large variety of different
health conditions that will benefit
his patients.
“
I am happy to fulfill the need of
primary care in Hermiston and
the surrounding communities,
and look forward to positively
impacting the health and well-
being for patients of all ages,
through all stages of life.
- Dr. Shanley
”
Welcoming
New Patients
Welcome Family Medicine
Physician,
David Shanley, MD
GOOD SHEPHERD
MEDICAL GROUP
Primary Care Clinic
541.667.3830
620 NW 11th Street, Suite 103
Hermiston, OR 97838