Drone as First Responder
Sterling Heights Brings Axon-Skydio DFR Program to Detroit Metro, Funded Entirely by Federal Forfeiture
The photo shows a Skydio drone hovering over a dock outside the Sterling Heights Police Department. It’s a familiar sight in 2026, but not in Michigan, where automated drone response has been slow to take hold despite the state’s heavy…
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…
Milwaukee Police Launch Drone First Responders
When every second counts, Milwaukee police are now letting a drone beat the squad car to the scene as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The Milwaukee Police Department has officially launched its Drone as First Responder program, and yes, the…
Bridgeport’s Flock Safety Drone Program Collapses Five Days After Launch Amid National Backlash
Just five days ago, we reported on Bridgeport, Connecticut officially launching its Drone as First Responder program with Flock Safety. Mayor Joe Ganim was demonstrating the drones on rooftops. Police Chief Roderick Porter was calling it “re-imagining policing.” Council President…
Cleveland Metroparks Tests Drones for Rescues and Police Calls
By early summer, Cleveland Metroparks will begin testing public safety drones along its eight lakefront properties, with one clear priority in mind: water rescues where seconds matter. The parks system has partnered with BRINC to trial two Drone as First…
Bridgeport Launches Drone as First Responder Program
Bridgeport, Connecticut, has officially joined the growing list of U.S. cities adopting a Drone as First Responder program, marking a major shift in how police, fire, and EMS respond to emergencies, as reported by ABC7 NY. City officials say the…
Gilbert Tests Various Drones as First Responders
The Town of Gilbert, Arizona is quietly building one of the more serious Drone as First Responder programs in the Southwest, with its Police and Fire departments jointly testing autonomous drone deployments to improve emergency response times, as reported by…
Skydio X10 Drone Becomes First on Scene in Fairfax County Police Calls
A Skydio X10 drone reached a potentially dangerous 911 call in Fairfax County, Virginia, in just 57 seconds, arriving before any patrol officer and fundamentally changing how police handled the situation. The call came in near Fair Oaks Mall, where…
Wichita Police Drone Tracks Circle K Robbery Suspect
Wichita police arrested a 46 year old man early Friday morning after an armed robbery at a Circle K convenience store, with a Skydio X10 police drone playing a decisive role in locating and capturing the suspect, as reported by…
Police Drone Programs Hit 6,000 Nationwide As Legal Challenges Mount
I’ve been tracking police drone expansion all year, and the Wall Street Journal just confirmed what we’ve been reporting: this technology is spreading faster than anyone anticipated. But buried in their coverage is a detail most outlets are missing. The…
Ohio’s DFR Gamble: Dublin’s DJI vs. Columbus’s Skydio
Two neighboring Ohio police departments made opposite bets on the drone equipment question dividing American law enforcement. With the FCC deadline just seven days away, their choices reveal what’s at stake for agencies that depend on this technology to save…
Paladin Drones Says Former VP Tried to ‘Plunder’ Company After Failed Power Grab
We’ve been tracking Paladin Drones’ rapid expansion across police and fire departments for over a year, but court documents filed in late October allege explosive internal turmoil at the Y Combinator-backed emergency response drone company, including accusations of corporate sabotage,…