Caldwell Police Launch Idaho’s First DFR Program

The Caldwell Police Department has become the first law enforcement agency in Idaho to launch a Drone as First Responder program, marking a major shift in how emergency calls are handled across the city, as KTVB reports.

Designed to cut response times and give officers immediate aerial awareness, the program allows drones to be dispatched the moment a 911 call comes in, often arriving well before patrol units on the ground.

To introduce the program, Caldwell Police will host a public open house on January 22 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the department’s headquarters on South 5th Avenue. Attendees will be able to see the drones in action and learn how the technology supports day to day public safety operations.

Skydio X10 drones lead the effort

Caldwell Police will operate a fleet of three Skydio X10 drones, a platform that has quickly become the standard for Drone as First Responder programs across the United States. Departments nationwide are increasingly adopting Skydio systems, and Caldwell is clearly riding that same Skydio wave as agencies move away from consumer drones toward purpose built public safety aircraft.

The Skydio X10 is equipped with high resolution visual cameras, thermal imaging for night operations and search missions, and precise GPS navigation. The drones will launch from strategically placed docking stations around the city, allowing them to reach most emergency calls in under two minutes, whether it is daytime, nighttime, or during challenging weather conditions.

The DFR program will support search and rescue operations, disaster and storm damage assessments, critical incident response, and traffic collision mapping, all while reducing the need for officers to immediately enter potentially dangerous situations without information.

Privacy, transparency, and community trust

Chief of Police Rex Ingram emphasized that the program is already proving its value. According to Ingram, early deployments have helped save victims, hold suspects accountable, and reduce risk to both officers and the public by providing real time intelligence before officers arrive on scene.

Caldwell Police also stressed that privacy protections are built into the program from the ground up. Drone flights will follow strict operational guidelines, detailed privacy policies, and full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Transparent reporting and clear limits on how the drones are used are intended to maintain public trust as the program expands.

In a lighter community focused touch, the department plans to ask residents on social media to help name the three drones, inviting public engagement in a program that will soon become a routine part of emergency response in Caldwell.

DroneXL’s Take

Caldwell’s move is another clear signal that Drone as First Responder programs are no longer experimental. With Skydio X10 drones becoming the go to choice for police departments across the country, Caldwell is aligning itself with a growing national model that prioritizes speed, safety, and situational awareness. As more agencies follow the Skydio wave, DFR programs are quickly shifting from pilot projects to core public safety infrastructure, and Idaho has now officially joined that trajectory.