County Board approves loan for rescue truck and drone funding for Lutsen Township

The Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a loan to Lutsen Township and its fire department for the purchase of a rescue truck during the May 12 meeting. The commissioners also approved a separate funding request for a drone for Lutsen Township.

The proposed loan to Lutsen Township for the rescue truck purchase was previously considered at the April 28 meeting, but, at the request of County Administrator Kristen Trebil-Halbersma, it was tabled until the county could review and update the terms and rate of the loan agreement.

During the May 12 meeting, Cook County Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers presented three loan options with updated terms to the commissioners. The total cost of the rescue truck is $408,668.

Option one was for the county to loan the township 50% of the total truck cost. Option two was for Lutsen Township to cover the majority of the cost, with the county financing $81,668. Option three was to loan the township the initial amount requested during the April 28 meeting, of $306,501.

The terms, regardless of the approved option, are that the county will finance the loan for 10 years with a 4% interest rate. The conditions also state that Lutsen Township must continue applying for grants and submit a summary of all grant activity to the county, including awards, denials, and pending applications.

Lutsen Fire Chief Steve Duclos, Lutsen Township Supervisor Chris Homyak, and Board Chair Carl Friesner attended the meeting to talk about the fire department’s need for the rescue truck and the loan request.

Duclos said rescue equipment, including ropes and the jaws of life, is spread across multiple trucks. A dedicated rescue truck would centralize all tools in a single vehicle, reducing the need to shift equipment between trucks when others are deployed for wildfire response.

Homyak and Duclos said the Lutsen Township and the fire department plan to pay for a portion of the rescue truck through the township’s fire truck fund, but the intent is not to deplete the fund as it is used in the event of an emergency or equipment breakdown.

“I don’t believe we can deplete that truck fund entirely,” Homyak said.

Powers said that while the county has historically provided loans to fire departments, previous equipment loan requests have been significantly lower, ranging from $1,000 to $80,000.

Trebil-Halbersma said that, given the higher loan request, she would like to see coordination and discussion on how to leverage this vehicle county-wide, or a more comprehensive equipment plan for all fire departments in the county.

“My reason for that is because of the cost, but also just making sure that we’ve got the resources throughout the county as needed,” said Trebil-Halbersma.

After discussing the loan options and conditions, the board voted unanimously to approve option one, providing Lutsen Township a loan covering 50% of the rescue truck’s cost, totaling $204,334.

The build process for the rescue truck is expected to take approximately 600 days. Lutsen Township intends to sign a contract for the new truck by May 20.

Drone Funding Request

During the May 12 meeting, Lutsen Township requested $9,000 in funding to cover the remaining contract costs for the recent purchase of a Brinc Drone.

The township has been raising funds and applying for grants to purchase the drone, which will support mutual aid search-and-rescue efforts and serve as a tool for responding to fires, Duclos said.

“This will serve the entire county,” Duclos said.

The intended use of the drone will be to locate a missing person, drop supplies to someone in need, or identify hotspots during a structure fire, among other uses.

Duclos said the drone also has the capability to drop a payload, “So if we get somebody in the woods who’s having an allergic reaction, we can fly an EPIPen to them a lot faster than we can get there on foot.”

Through fundraising and donations, the township has already paid for the first year and the training of three pilots. The total project cost for the drone, which includes pilot training and associated costs, is $84,961. The township received funding through several local and regional grants, as well as from Tofte and Schroeder Townships.

The township also received letters of support from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Sen. Grant Hauschild,  Visit Cook County, and Cook County Emergency Management Director Mike Keyport.

Duclos said the township has signed a contract for the drone, which includes bumper-to-bumper coverage. The township has applied for additional grants and expects to learn the outcome later this summer.

Trebil-Halbersma said county officials have requested that Lutsen Township share its operating procedures and policies regarding drone use.

Duclos said the township will store and maintain the drone and will share the operating procedures and policies.

The drone is similar to the one used by the Colvill fire department, which includes an infrared camera system to aid firefighting and search-and-rescue operations.

Several commissioners discussed the benefits of having two drones available in the county and more licensed pilots.

“So I really am pleased with the direction that we have gone and am appreciative of not only purchasing an additional drone but our contribution of $9,000,” Commissioner Ann Sullivan said.

The board of commissioners unanimously approved the $9,000 funding request to Lutsen Township to cover the remaining cost of the drone contract.

Kalli Hawkins May 16, 2026