The program, in partnership with Skydio, will run from Monday, Sept. 22 to Friday, Sept. 26, testing the drones in real-world situations to see how they can better support police as well as the Greeley Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management and Public Works’ traffic team, according to a Greeley police news release.
“We feel like, following the data in our call load, if we can deploy a drone from a dock on top of a fire station — or any city-owned building — and it can get there within 60 to 90 seconds, we’ll be able to get eyes on and provide information to responding officers,” Turk said last month.
As part of the program, the department will have three drones and one dock. Skydio, a San Mateo, California -based drone company, is providing the drones, software and equipment, but licensed Greeley police officers and Real-Time Information Center technicians will operate the drones, the department said.
Unlike the department’s current drone program, these drones will be operated remotely, the release states. The department’s current drone program uses drones only after the initial response, and requires a pilot and visual observer to watch the drones as they are piloted.
The drones used as part of the first responder program will launch themselves, then fly themselves to the call. Once at the call, the pilot will take control, before the drone flies itself back to the dock. A pilot will track the drone as it flies and will have the ability to take control of the drone at any time, the department said
When a call comes in that the Real-Time Information Center deems appropriate, a technician will deploy a drone to the scene, often getting there faster than a police or fire vehicle responding to the same location. The drone will then send a live video back to the Real-Time Information Center, giving first responders a much better idea of what they are responding to, according to the release.
The department will decide what calls to deploy drones to based on priority, call type and distance from the drones to the call.
Police expect the program to allow the department to send the correct resources and get those resources to the scene as quickly as possible.
Turk used the example of a well-meaning person calling in a report of a child with a handgun. If a drone can get eyes on the child and see that the weapon is just a water gun, no unneeded resources are sent out, and an innocent child doesn’t have a herd of police officers show up.
“If we could run the drones to all of our calls that come in, and the drones can handle 10% to 20% of those calls — the ones where an officer doesn’t need to respond — that’s efficiency,” Turk said. “You’re going to need cops in cop cars to respond to the worst days in some of our residents’ lives. But there are some other mechanisms in place, i.e. technology and drones, that can help offset that.”
The department is bringing in the drone program primarily to gather data. The department has four key areas it will consider during the trial run, according to the release:
1. Measure if the drones help reduce response times, improve understanding of situations and enhance coordination across all departments.
2. Assess the value the program can bring to community safety, including any reduction in scene response or the need for public resources.
3. Can drone technology help public safety professionals work more effectively during emergencies.
4. Test and evaluate the reliability of the Skydio drones and software.
The use of drones as first responders is increasing across the nation. Commerce City became Colorado’s first agency to fully implement the program in July. Castle Rock launched a similar program last month.
Cities and counties that have implemented drones as first responders nationwide have reported reductions in car thefts, calls for service and overall crime, according to the release.
Greeley police answer FAQs about drones
Q: Will deployed drones look into private properties?
A: These drones only respond to the location of emergency calls or incidents. They are not used for random surveillance and will only look at residential and private properties when deployed on a public safety call for service.
Q: What height will the drones be looked at?
A: These drones can fly up to 200 feet above the ground, allowing them to safely cover the scene and provide an overview without hovering over neighborhoods or business while also avoiding power lines.
Q: What kind of noise will the drones make while deployed?
A: These drones make a light buzzing sound similar to a lawn trimmer at a distance. Since they are operated at higher altitudes, the sound is usually faint and short-term.
Q: How is information provided from drones to officers?
A: The drone sends live video and location data back to trained officers in real time. This helps first responders see what’s happening before they arrive on scene.
Q: What is the battery life of the drones?
A: Most first responder drones have 20 to 30 minutes of flight time per battery. The docking station will charge the drone and a rapid battery swap can occur in the field.
Q: Who operates the drones?
A: Federal Aviation Administration -licensed and trained operators will deploy and operate the drones following applicable state laws and department policies.
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