Unmanned Aerial Online reports the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has OK'd commercial drone operations over people for the government of Rutherford County.
According to the publication, the county will deploy Vantage Robotics' Snap drone, a lightweight aircraft with shrouded rotors.
The attorney who handled the county's application says Rutherford is the first and only county government in the nation with the waiver allowing these kinds of missions in both emergency and non-emergency situations.
Rutherford County's Office of Information Technology office says the county has a need to capture data and images from events like the October 2017 rally downtown, Main Street's JazzFest and Uncle Dave Macon Days. They say the ability to capture images and data from such events will help keep the public safer.
