Teledyne FLIR Defense honors police aviation units at 30th annual FLIR Vision Awards

Teledyne FLIR Defense recognized outstanding airborne law enforcement teams from across the USA during the 30th annual FLIR Vision Awards, held at the APSCON 2025 conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The prestigious event celebrates police aviation crews who use Teledyne FLIR’s thermal imaging systems in lifesaving operations, such as search and rescue missions, suspect pursuits, and K-9 support. This year’s honorees hailed from agencies in Florida, California, Texas, Maryland, and Michigan.

The top honor, Vision Award: First Place, was presented to Marion County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) Command Pilot Craig Kinsey and Master Sergeant John Rawls. Second Place went to Sheriff Corporal Jerry Osterloh and Deputy Sheriff Jake Fink of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office (California), while the Houston Police Department secured Third Place with Senior Police Officers Ismael Rodriguez and Jose Guzman.

The Life Saver Awards were granted to Prince George’s County Police Department (Maryland) members Bo Corser and Corporal Christopher Elrod, along with Sergeant Cole Martin and Trooper Brandon Franklin of the Michigan State Police.

Houston Police also took home the Pursuit Award, with Senior Police Officer Chris Thompson and Officer David Kassir recognized for their role in a high-stakes operation.

The FANG Award, highlighting missions involving K-9 units, was awarded to Tampa Police Aviation. Honorees included Flight Officer Brian Alofs, Tactical Flight Officer Rob Williams, Officer Joshua Yungaitis, and K-9 Sly.

“For three decades, we have recognized and honored the work performed by the men and women in law enforcement who keep our communities safe,” said Dr JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We salute their commitment to public safety and congratulate the winners, and all entrants, on a job well done.”

The awards are judged on criteria including crew coordination, technical competence, and how critical FLIR technology was in mission success.

Teledyne FLIR Defense was recently awarded a US$74 million contract to modernize US Coast Guard surveillance systems.