It’s not unusual to see drones hovering over Husker Harvest Days. But it is unusual to see unmanned aerial vehicles hovering over the show site when the show isn’t going on.

Since 2021, during the offseason, Nebraska State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies have been putting the HHD show site to good use by conducting UAV training exercises.

Lt. Brent Bockstadter, NSP coordinator for the Crash Reconstruction Program, says HHD is almost perfect for UAV pilot training for his troopers.

The use of drones in accident investigations speeds up crash site cleanup, Bockstadter says, so traffic flow isn’t impeded so long. Plus, it saves money on investigations of accident scenes to create a reliable report.

Paved streets, open spaces

Because of the paved streets and open spaces, HHD offers an optimal training ground for these kinds of exercises.

“Over the past couple of years, we started from ground zero with no program whatsoever, and have built this training program, expanded the size and scope of what equipment can be used for,” Bockstadter says.

“We started focused on applications to crash scene reconstruction and investigation, to decrease scene time. We used to have to physically measure each evidence point at the crash scene, standing on a closed road. Now, with a scanner or drone to take photos of the scene, we can get a 3D rendering, and the scene analysis is basically done.”

Bockstadter says that they realized many other applications for this technology. “Developing a working relationship with local fire departments and the state fire marshal, along with our federal partners, we could use thermal imagery drones in emergency situations like wildfires,” he explains. “Training in the thermal application has been very successful.”

Beyond these applications, new potentially important areas in the public safety arena are being employed, such as using drones as part of the search-and-rescue team to find missing children or to relocate people in a pursuit situation — using drones to track and apprehend suspects safely — he adds.

Beyond NSP, two members of the Idaho State Police attended training at HHD with NSP troopers and other law enforcement agencies. “We do basic flight class twice a year, and then we bring in previously certified UAV pilots two or three times a year to update their training, so the HHD site is used about once a month for this kind of training,” Bockstadter says.

Small city

Why is HHD so useful? “The show site simulates a small city,” Bockstadter notes. “For law enforcement and search-and-rescue teams, it offers a safe and controlled environment for training, with no vehicles or pedestrian traffic,” he says. “The site is close to town, but not in town. It offers spacious lots, and no air space issues with other drones, so it works for all kinds of UAV training,” no matter the deployment situation.