First Responders

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

1,521

Articles

112

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Reporters on beat

Aug 18

Last updated

Skydio

Skydio X10 Drone Nails Shoplifting Suspect on Long Island

To the drone, she was not hidden at all, just another warm shape glowing against a cooler landscape. Officers were guided directly to the location

Rafael SuárezDec 15

The High Cost of Security: Why the "Pain" of a DJI Ban Means Lives Lost, Not Just Lost Profits - Drones Favored by Utah Search and Rescue Crews: Enhancing Efficiency in Wilderness Operations

DJI

DJI Drones Save American Lives: Here’s The Proof Politicians Are Ignoring Before December 23

We have been reporting on the DJI ban for over a year, but today we are publishing something different: a comprehensive, documented record of American lives saved by the very drones that will be banned in nine days. DroneXL reader Chad Roylance compiled this list from verified news reports, first responder testimonies, and official rescue…

Haye KestelooDec 14

Police

Seven Students Expose Russia’s Drone Motherships After Intel Agencies Failed

We’ve been covering Europe’s drone crisis for months, from military reconnaissance drones shutting down Munich Airport to the EU’s scramble to build a multi-billion-euro “drone wall.” But while European intelligence agencies stumbled through bureaucratic fog, seven journalism students just delivered the most comprehensive investigation yet into who’s actually behind Germany’s mysterious drone swar

Haye KestelooDec 14

Overhead black-and-white view of a DJI Phantom quadcopter surrounded by folding DJI Mavic drones and other multirotors arranged on a white surface

Drone as First Responder

Drone Brings Lifesaving Gear to Man Trapped by Flood

Floods do not arrive politely. They do not knock, wait, or ask if you are ready. One minute a river looks high but manageable. The next minute it has decided it wants the road, the trees, and your car too. That reality played out this week in Washington state, where a powerful atmospheric river dumped…

Rafael SuárezDec 14

First Responders

Tiny flapping drone matches insect speed with an AI brain

MIT microrobot using AI control flies with insect agility, doing flips and tight maneuvers, a step toward rescue robots in rubble. Somewhere, a housefly is feeling slightly threatened. Tiny drones could one day crawl through collapsed buildings to help find survivors after earthquakes. These micro-robots, inspired by insects, now show flight skills close to the…

Rafael SuárezDec 14

University of Alabama Bans Drones Over Bryant-Denny Stadium on Game Days

Police

Safer Skies Act Passes House: Local Police Can Now Take Down Drones At NFL Games

We’ve been reporting on stadium drone incidents for years, and Wednesday’s House vote changes everything for the 2026 World Cup and beyond. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safer Skies Act by a decisive 312-112 vote, authorizing state and local law enforcement to disable drones at major sporting events, a power previously reserved for…

Haye KestelooDec 13

Skydio

22 Dead in Terra Drone Battery Fire: CEO Arrested Within 48 Hours

We’ve been tracking Terra Drone’s aggressive global expansion for years, but this week the world’s largest industrial drone service provider faces its darkest chapter. A fire at the company’s Jakarta office killed 22 employees on Tuesday, and Indonesian police have now arrested CEO Michael Wisnu Wardhana on negligence charges that could result in life imprisonment.…

Haye KestelooDec 12

DJI

DJI Ban Alert: Arizona Fire Chief Warns “Lives Will Be Lost” as December Deadline Looms

Arizona fire chief warns looming DJI ban will cost lives: "In my opinion, lives are going to be lost because this air capability is going to be taken away."

Haye KestelooDec 10

First Responders

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