ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department has launched its Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program.
▶ LISTEN TO ORLANDO’S MORNING NEWS EXPRESS PODCAST ON WDBO
The new public safety investment designed to “improve emergency response times, officer decision-making, and overall public safety outcomes for residents during the first critical minutes of 911 calls.”
The drones used in the program are Skydio X10 DFR drones, which its manufacturer says provides users with “the best sensors and cameras [and] piloted by the most advanced AI in the sky.”
When launched, the drones fly “directly” to incident locations utilizing GPS coordinates and upon arrival transmit live video to OPD’s Crime Center.
The live video allows OPD officers to “quickly determine whether a situation is high-risk, low-risk, or a false alarm; allocate appropriate resources; improve de-escalation efforts; [and] reduce unnecessary high-risk responses.”
The OPD program will utilize 11 of these drones across 9 different sites, “allowing OPD to get eyes on any scene within city limits in seconds, often before patrol units arrive.”
“When a 911 call comes in, officers are often making high-stakes decisions with limited information,” said Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith. “This program gives us the ability to get eyes on a scene in seconds, helping officers arrive safer, make better-informed decisions, and quickly locate violent suspects who pose a threat to our community.”
OPD joins several other Florida communities in implementing this drone technology, including St. Cloud, Tampa, and Miami.
“This program is a smart investment of taxpayer dollars that helps us deliver on our most important responsibility: keeping Orlando residents safe,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer. “By combining dedicated officers with proven technology, we’re improving response times, making better-informed decisions, and continuing to build a safer Orlando for everyone.”
Click here to download our free news, weather and traffic app. And click here to subscribe to our daily 3 Big Things newsletter.