A 510 Packbot Fastac. The robot that was given to Brunswick from the Defense Logistics Agency. Courtesy of Scott Stewart
Brunswick’s police and fire departments are getting a new robot.
Monday, the Brunswick Town Council unanimously voted to accept the machine, with an estimated value of $78,000.
According to a memo from Police Chief Scott Stewart, the device, a 510 Packbot Fastac, has no weapons attached, weighs 33 pounds, can climb stairs and open doors, has a camera and 10 hours of battery life.
The device has a range of 1,100 yards and is controlled by a video game controller.
“First, I want to say no guns, no laser beams associated with this,” Town Manager John Eldridge told the council. “This is a robotic device that would be used by police and fire in situations in which it may not be safe to send a police officer or firefighter.”
After the police department applied through a program, The Defense Logistics Agency designated the robot to Brunswick because the town’s location could allow the robot to be used by other Midcoast first responders.
The agency is a governmental US Department of Defense combat support organization, which manages the global supply chain for the armed forces.
“Normally I wouldn’t necessarily go looking for something like this right now, but it kind of fell in our lap,” said Stewart. “I think it’s a great, great asset not only to Brunswick, the fire department and the police department, but to the Midcoast as well.”
Stewart said as far as he’s aware the only other place that has a robot nearby is the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police Department.
As noted in the memo, potential uses for the robot include investigating a gas leak and looking for people trapped in a collapsed structure.
“I thought of the infamous suspicious package that gets left behind,” Stewart said. “Someone can actually go up to it with this piece of equipment, if we have the time take a better look, and (allow) for us to access from a safe location.”
Another scenario where it could be useful would be during a hostage situation, similar one that occurred in Livermore Falls last week, according to Stewart. The robot could drop a phone, allowing for police to communicate with the hostage and would avoid putting an officer in danger.
The police would still need a search warrant and probable cause to enter a residence with the robot.
Stewart said the robot would need new batteries every several years, which cost $400, but the device requires no yearly maintenance and requires no special training to operate.
Training will occur in-house, meaning there will be no additional cost for teaching officers how to operate it the robot.
In addition to the robot, the Brunswick Police Department also has a drone, which was acquired several years back and allows police to examine road accidents overhead and check for trespassers on the railroad tracks, Stewart said.
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