First Responders

Police, fire, and search-and-rescue teams putting drones to work when minutes matter.

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Sep 11

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A shark seen beneath the surface in NYPD aerial footage off a New York City beach

Beach Safety

NYPD Drones Track 7 Sharks as Rockaway Closures Nearly Double

NYPD drones have tracked seven sharks off New York City beaches in 2026 while Rockaway Beach logged 45 shark-related closures, up from 24 at the same point last summer.

Rafael SuárezJul 31

Overhead drone view of two swimmers in green ocean water, one reaching for a yellow inflated Restube flotation device

Drones for Good

Ocean County's DJI M300 Dropped a Rescue Tube Into a Rip Current, and the FCC Wants That Drone Class Off the Shelf

An Ocean County Sheriff's Office pilot dropped a Restube beside two swimmers caught in a Surf City rip current. The aircraft was a DJI M300 RTK, and a July 21 FCC notice proposes cutting off that class of drone.

Haye KestelooJul 31

Rescue drone reaching stranded hikers near Loveland Pass in Colorado

Search & Rescue

Colorado Rescue Drone Talks Hikers Through A Lightning Storm

A camera-and-speaker drone reached two stranded hikers near Loveland Pass before ground rescuers could, guiding them through a lightning storm.

Rafael SuárezJul 31

Coffee with the Mayor and drone presentation flyer for August 1 in Santa Ana

Santa Ana DFR

Santa Ana Mayor Will Demo Police Drones Over Coffee on August 1

Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua and police will host a free public demonstration of the city's new Drone as First Responder program on August 1, with privacy and oversight questions still following its 4-3 approval.

Rafael SuárezJul 30

Detroit City Council President James Tate

Detroit DFR

Detroit Police Drone Grant Went To Washington Without City Council Approval

Detroit filed a $2.2 million DOJ grant application for a police drone as first responder program without City Council approval. Six members voted no, the city may withdraw it, and DPD still has no approved drone policy.

Haye KestelooJul 30

Escaped black Angus bull moving through thick kudzu in Iredell County, North Carolina

DJI Avata 2

DJI Avata 2 Guides Escaped Angus Bull Out of I-40 Ravine

A DJI Avata 2 helped Foothills Aerial Services guide an escaped Angus bull out of a kudzu-covered ravine near Interstate 40 in Iredell County, North Carolina.

Rafael SuárezJul 30

Campus Guardian Angel drone hovers in a school hallway during an active shooter response demonstration

School Safety

Pepper-Spray School Drones Go Live In Nine Schools Across Three States

Mithril Defense's Campus Guardian Angel drones arrive in nine schools in Florida, Georgia, and Colorado this fall, and Florida has already approved year-two funding before a single real-world activation.

Haye KestelooJul 28

Paws Patrol LV thermal drone donation for animal rescue searches in Las Vegas

Search & Rescue

Paws Patrol LV Gets Two Thermal Drones After Sky Knockdown

A Montana hotel owner donated two thermal drones to Paws Patrol LV after people in a Las Vegas wash knocked the animal rescue group's $7,000 drone out of the sky during a search for an injured dog. The dog remains missing.

Rafael SuárezJul 28

First Responders

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