1?|?Client Snapshot
| Organization | Ohio?County Emergency Management Agency (Wheeling, West?Virginia,?USA) |
| Sector | Public Safety /?Swift?Water Rescue |
| Equipment Donor | WVU?Medicine –?Wheeling Hospital & Reynolds?Memorial Hospital |
| ROV Deployed | FIFISH?V6?EXPERT |
2?|?Operational Context
Catalyst for Upgrade – Severe flooding on?14?June?2025 triggered multiple water rescues in Wheeling.
Donation Event – On?9?July?2025, WVU?Medicine donated the county’s first underwater drone to the EMA (WTOV).
Primary Mission – Support the county Swift?Water Team in:
Locating drowning victims in creeks & rivers
Recovering weapons or other evidence for law enforcement investigations
Rapid situational assessment before deploying human rescuers (WTOV)
3?|?Why?FIFISH?V6?EXPERT
| Capability | Relevance to EMA Operations |
|---|---|
| Six?thruster, 360?°?omnidirectional maneuverability | Maintains stable control in fast?moving, debris?laden water |
| 100?m (328?ft) depth rating | Exceeds local river depths; ample margin for dam & bridge searches |
| 330?ft (100m) rugged tether supplied with donation | Allows surface teams to keep the ROV online in turbid water |
| Optional grabber/tool interface | Enables the retrieval of firearms, knives, or other critical evidence without diver entry |
4?|?Deployment Workflow
Rapid Launch – Two?person crew lowers V6?Expert from riverbank/boat; tether reel secured topside.
Visual Search – 4?K camera plus lights penetrate murky water; operators scan for shapes or reflections.
Evidence Retrieval – If an item is located, the claw attachment grasps and returns it while preserving the chain of custody.
Post?event Review – Recorded 4?K footage is archived for investigation and training.
5?|?Early Outcomes
| Metric | Before ROV | After ROV Deployment |
|---|---|---|
| Responder Risk | Swift?water divers are required for the initial search | Drone performs first?pass sweep; divers enter only if necessary |
| Search Speed | Visual sweep limited by water clarity; multiple dive rotations | A single ROV sortie provides immediate situational awareness |
| Evidence Handling | Manual recovery; higher contamination risk | Remote claw retrieval maintains evidence integrity |
EMA Director?Lou?Vargo:
“If we see something, it’s safer to send the drone first… the commander can then decide if a rescuer needs to enter.” (WTOV)
Key Takeaway
The FIFISH?V6?EXPERT delivers big?agency underwater capability to a county?level rescue team, enhancing safety, shortening mission times, and adding a new tool for law?enforcement evidence recovery, all for roughly the cost of a single traditional swift?water dive operation.
