Lutsen Fire Department unveils new drone to support emergency response across Cook County

Kalli Hawkins | June 30, 2026

The Lutsen Fire Department has added a new tool to its operations — a drone designed to help locate missing people, assess fire scenes, and support emergency response across Cook County.

On June 25, Lutsen firefighters, drone pilots, and township community members gathered for a demonstration of the new Brinc drone and its capabilities, showing how it works and what it could mean for future rescue operations in the region.

“This serves the whole county and outside of the county if requested,” said Lutsen Fire Chief Steve Duclos.

Lutsen Fire Department’s new drone for emergency response | Photo by Kalli Hawkins

The approximately six-pound drone can fly up to 44 mph, provide thermal imaging, carry a payload of up to two pounds of medical supplies or a life jacket, and perform several other emergency-response tasks.

“We do have a lot of folks in the county that sometimes get lost, and this is something we can use to help find these missing people or at fire scenes,” said Ben Belland, a first responder and a certified drone pilot.

Belland is one of three pilots certified to operate the new Brinc drone, which will be kept and housed with the Lutsen Fire Department. The two other pilots who underwent training with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate the drone are Stephen Gray and Nicolas Reineccius.

Gray said first responders often have trouble locating someone who may be lost or in need of medical attention, “So, with the drone, it will be really nice to be able to fly and be ahead of looking where people are needing help.”

Lutsen Fire Chief Steve Duclos and Drone Pilot Ben Belland securing an EpiPen to the drone during a demonstration | Photo by Kalli Hawkins

The drone is another “tool in the toolbox” that first responders throughout Cook County can use to find missing people or assist at fire scenes by identifying hot spots, Belland said.

Duclos said that, in the example of the Lutsen Resort fire in 2024, the drone would have been handy to watch for spot fires, rather than allocating firefighters to that task and deploying them in other needed response areas.

In Lutsen Township, it’s the firefighters, first responders, and volunteers who helped bring the project to life. The June 25 demonstration was about more than showcasing a new piece of equipment. It marked the culmination of months of fundraising, training, and community support to put the new search-and-rescue drone into service.

“It was really exciting,” Belland said. “It was good to see the community supported us in getting it.”

The effort to acquire the drone had been years in the making, dating back to when Duclos first introduced the idea at a township board meeting. As discussions progressed, fire department personnel and township officials quickly realized the cost of purchasing the equipment would be substantial.

“From that point on, I kind of got assigned or raised by hand, I’m not sure which, and so we started looking at raising money,” said Sharon Hexum-Platzer, who assisted with writing grants and fundraising efforts to purchase the drone.

The total cost for a three-year contract with the company Brinc to purchase the drone, including warranty and insurance, was $76,500.

Hexum-Platzer spearheaded fundraising efforts and secured approximately $20,000 in donations alone by writing letters to short-term rental property owners in Cook County. She also secured additional donations, a Lloyd K. Johnson grant, donations from neighboring Schroeder and Tofte Townships, and, more recently, funding from the county.

With all of the efforts, Lutsen Township has secured enough funding to cover costs for two of the three years of the contract. “And we’re working on year three,” Hexum-Platzer said.

To recognize Hexum-Platzer’s efforts to secure funding for the drone and help bring a new emergency response tool to Cook County, Duclos said the fire department wanted to honor her in a lasting way.

There was only one fitting name for the department’s newest piece of equipment.

“So we decided collectively as a group that we were going to name it Sharon,” said Duclos.

He said that after asking Hexum-Platzer to take over securing funding, she “ran like a bulldog with it” and was instrumental in acquiring the drone. The drone is registered with the FAA as Sharon.