It didn’t take long for police and emergency officers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), drone industry insiders, and the public to recognize how powerful a tool a drone could be in an emergency situation. Today, thousands of police, fire, and first responder departments across the country have dedicated drone units. By deploying drones, officers can quickly and efficiently perform their duties while remaining out of harm’s way. Drones are being used to collect evidence at crime scenes, map traffic accidents, locate missing individuals, pursue suspects, monitor crowds, provide tactical awareness, deliver public announcements, and so much more.

In 2018, the New York Police Department (NYPD) became one of the earliest adopters of drone technology. As the largest police department in the country, the NYPD has continued to collaborate with the FAA and drone industry insiders to prove the validity of drones as emergency response tools. The NYPD has one of the largest drone units in the country and has been setting standards for novel ways in which police officers can use drones. Over the last year and a half, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry have pushed the boundaries of a growing program called Drones as First Responders (DFR).

A few examples of how the NYPD has pushed these boundaries include using drones to examine a collapsed parking garage, deliver critical storm warnings, provide additional lifeguard support, and curtail dangerous viral trends. Recently, the FAA granted the NYPD a special one-year waiver to begin deploying drones remotely and flying them BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight). Enabling this latest advancement is a partnership with Skydio, a drone company founded by a group of MIT graduates who helped pave the way for advancements in drone technology. The specific program that Skydio has developed for the NYPD is called Shielded DFR.

Shielded DFR takes into consideration that New York City has the most congested airspace in the country. However, the system proves that drones can safely fly at a maximum altitude of 200 ft above ground and within 50 ft of structures without any safety concerns. Previously, officers would drive to a location, whereupon they would unload and launch a drone. With Skydio’s new DFR program, an officer working from within a command center can remotely launch a drone from a rooftop and fly it to where it needs to be, drastically reducing response times.

The program works with Skydio’s X10 drone and X10D, a remote docking station. The X10 is a small, AI-powered drone that has all the bells and whistles any emergency response drone would need. The X10D is a secure, weather-resistant docking station that protects and charges the X10 drone. It also serves as a data transfer station. The NYPD has installed these docking stations on the rooftops of Brooklyn’s 67th, 71st, and 75th precincts, the 48th police precinct in the Bronx, and the Central Park precinct. Each unit is equipped with two X10 drones and operated by Part 107 licensed police officers from a command center at 1 Police Plaza in Manhattan.

When a call comes in, an operator can quickly determine if a drone would be of assistance. Once the team in the command center is notified, they can launch one of the rooftop drones, observe its flight remotely, and see that it arrives on the scene before a police cruiser has even gotten there. Officer Craig Vitale, who spent years as a patrol officer, is now one of the department’s drone operators. He said this new program is providing the citizens of New York with the extra security and support they deserve while keeping officers safe.

“New York City is flying into the future as we keep New Yorkers safe,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “While the ‘Drone as First Responder’ program is what precision policing in the 21st century looks like, drone potential is really just taking off. We are leveraging the latest technology to enhance the NYPD’s emergency-response capabilities, remotely sending drones to the exact longitude and latitude of where an emergency call comes in, and sometimes in as little as a minute. These drones will mean more efficient policing and will help increase the safety of our responding NYPD officers and New Yorkers.” As drone technology continues to evolve, it is clear that its integration into emergency response efforts is reshaping how public safety is approached. The NYPD’s innovative use of drones not only enhances the efficiency of emergency operations but also sets a new standard for police departments nationwide.

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