SAR Division | APAK exists to eliminate the gap between a missing person and the technology that can find them. We deploy FAA Part 107 certified drone pilots equipped with 640×512 radiometric thermal sensors to assist law enforcement, fire departments, emergency management agencies, and families across all 254 Texas counties.
In a crisis, time is the enemy. Every hour that passes reduces the probability of a positive outcome. Traditional ground search is slow, expensive, and limited by terrain. A thermal-equipped drone can cover 40 acres in 20 minutes — terrain that would take ground teams hours to clear on foot. That speed saves lives.
We believe that access to this technology should never depend on a department's budget or a family's bank account. A missing child in a rural county with three deputies deserves the same aerial search capability as a missing person in a major metropolitan area. Geography and funding should never determine who gets found.
We do not charge agencies. We do not bill families. We never will. This is not a marketing strategy. It is a moral position.
The moment a family calls 911 because a loved one is missing, they are already paying with fear, uncertainty, and sleepless hours. Adding a financial burden to that crisis is not acceptable to us. Law enforcement agencies across Texas are already stretched thin — we refuse to add another line item to their budget requests.
Instead, we fund this work through community donations, corporate sponsorships, and grant funding. Every dollar comes from people and organizations who believe that aerial search and rescue should be a public good — not a billable service.
Sheriff's Offices and Police Departments across Texas — especially rural agencies with limited air support budgets.
Fire departments conducting search operations, wildland fire overwatch, and swift water rescue support.
County and regional emergency management coordinators during natural disasters and missing person incidents.
Families searching for missing loved ones — elderly wanderers, lost children, despondent individuals — with no cost, ever.
Small towns and unincorporated areas where SAR resources are scarce and response times are measured in hours, not minutes.
The Texas Hill Country and Gulf Coast — communities where flash flooding creates recurring SAR needs and every deployment is time-critical.
We will never self-deploy. We only mobilize at the request of an authorized agency with jurisdiction over the search.
We will never charge a family. No invoice. No expectation. No strings attached.
We will never cut corners on training. Every pilot maintains current FAA Part 107 certification. Every mission follows incident command structure protocols.
We will never deploy without proper insurance. Every mission is fully covered. Every pilot is protected. Every agency we work with can trust that liability is handled.
We will always show up when called — if we have the funding to get there. That's where you come in.
SAR Division | APAK does not exist yet. Not officially. Not operationally. What you're reading is a vision — a blueprint for something that we believe needs to exist in Texas.
Every year, families across this state spend desperate hours waiting for search teams. Rural departments do their best with limited resources. Thermal drones sit on shelves while ground teams exhaust themselves covering terrain that a sensor could clear in minutes. We want to close that gap. But we can't do it alone.
This won't become real without Texans. Without donors who believe that aerial search and rescue should be free. Without volunteer pilots willing to answer a call at 3 AM. Without agencies willing to partner with a new organization built on a simple promise: no one pays to be found.
We would love to build a volunteer team.
If you're an FAA Part 107 certified pilot in Texas, a former first responder, a SAR volunteer, a dispatcher, a logistics coordinator, or simply someone who wants to help build this from the ground up — we want to hear from you. This isn't a job posting. There's no paycheck yet. This is an invitation to be part of something from its first day.
Join the Volunteer Team →Industry-leading sensors detect body heat through foliage, darkness, water, and debris.
Based in Austin. Ready to mobilize anywhere in Texas when called by authorized agencies.
All pilots fully licensed and insured. Operations fully coordinated with incident command.
No agency fees. No family billing. Ever. 100% donation-funded operations.
Specialized experience standing by for Kerrville, Leander, and flood-prone regions across Texas.
We work within your incident command structure. We do not self-deploy.
Complete transparency is non-negotiable. Here is our full budget — every drone, every battery, every bolt on the truck. You deserve to know exactly what you're funding.
| Role | Count |
|---|---|
| Pilot (FAA Part 107) | 1 |
| Observer / Camera Operator | 1 |
| Ground Crew / Logistics | 2 |
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Matrice 4TD (Primary) | 1 | $9,899 |
| DJI Matrice 4TD Battery | 8 | $4,184 |
| Autel EVO II Dual 640T V3 Bundle | 2 | $12,240 |
| Autel EVO II Battery (est.) | 8 | $1,600 |
| Drone Fleet Total | $27,923 | |
| Item | Details | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Base Vehicle | ||
| 2018 F-150 4x4 SuperCrew FX4 | 3.5L EcoBoost, locking diff, skid plates | $26,500 |
| Off-Road Build | ||
| 4-6" Suspension Lift Kit | Upgraded shocks, control arms, hardware | $1,800 |
| 35" All-Terrain Tires (set of 5) | BFGoodrich or equivalent mud-terrain | $2,000 |
| 17-18" Off-Road Wheels (set of 5) | Proper offset for lift clearance | $1,250 |
| Steel Off-Road Front Bumper | Frame-mounted, recovery points, winch-ready | $1,500 |
| Steel Off-Road Rear Bumper | Integrated recovery points | $1,100 |
| 12,000 lb Winch (Synthetic) | Frame-mounted, integrated | $750 |
| Supplemental Skid Plates | Oil pan & transmission armor | $500 |
| LED Light Bar + A-Pillar Pods | Night SAR operations | $900 |
| Rock Sliders (Frame-Mounted) | Steel, replaces running boards | $800 |
| Mobile VHF/UHF Radio + Antenna | Direct agency communications | $600 |
| Bed-Mounted Lockable Storage | Drone cases, batteries, recovery gear | $1,200 |
| Labor & Integration | ||
| Full Build Installation | Lift, bumpers, winch, lighting, sliders, comms | $4,000 |
| Vehicle Total | $42,900 | |
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & Training | ||
| FAA Part 107 Exam Prep (Full Team) | 4 people | $1,600 |
| Advanced SAR Drone Course (Full Team) | 4 people | $3,000 |
| FAA Drone Registration | 3 drones | $15 |
| Insurance | ||
| Drone Fleet Liability Policy | Annual | $1,900 |
| Commercial Auto (Off-Road SAR Use) | Annual | $2,400 |
| Team Operations (12 Missions/Year) | ||
| Volunteer Travel & Per Diem | 12 missions | $5,280 |
| Vehicle Fuel & Maintenance | Annual | $3,500 |
| Equipment Maintenance Fund | Annual | $500 |
| Annual Operating Total | $18,195 | |
These numbers are our promise. Every donation is tracked. Every expense is reported. We'll publish quarterly financial summaries so you can see exactly how your contribution moved the mission forward — which drone it charged, which mission it fueled, which family it helped.
No salaries. No overhead waste. Every person on this team is a volunteer. The money goes to equipment, insurance, and the fuel that gets us to the search site. Nothing else.