Drones

Starting this fall season, Washington will use drone technology to monitor the local seal and sea lion populations, the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife announced last month.

The Central New York region has become unmatched compared to other areas in the country when it comes to drone technology and integration, local officials say.

At Lakeside High School in Ashtabula, Ohio, students in a new drone class were able to earn official drone operator certificates. Faculty hope the class will prepare them for a variety of career opportunities.

Drones could someday deliver life-saving medical supplies to injured persons across Cambria County, Pa., and potentially even transport them to hospitals if need be.

The brainchild of Jose Rolon, a citywide interagency coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management, the demo showed how drones could be used in two scenarios in the event of a coastal storm.

The civil rights advocacy organization sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging his signature on a bill that would ban law enforcement from deploying killer drones against the public.

Law enforcement agencies nationwide are losing officers faster than they can recruit them. Automated license plate readers and using drones as first responders are just two solutions that can act as "force multipliers."

Ten Eleven Ventures, a cybersecurity-focused investment firm, led the funding round that's to help Darkhive increase its offerings, support Defense Department contracts and seek new business.

The Drones as First Responder program would expand on this use by providing a cost-efficient way for the agency to get support in the sky and respond to 911 calls quicker as the county continues to grow.

The Portland City Council voted to expand a police drone program, enabling its use for all precincts and divisions despite pushback from some community members over surveillance concerns.

Crime continues to drop this year in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, part of the greater New Orleans area. The sheriff’s office already fields roughly 30 drones, but is considering adding first responder drones.

Drone as First Responder programs have been adopted across the country, and in them, police place drones across their coverage areas and send them to determine if a ground response is needed.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which has checked drone use for years, recently granted Amazon’s Prime Air program approval to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight from its pilots in parts of Texas.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are buzzing about drones, but what’s the real impact? Government Technology got an exclusive video look at how one rural sheriff’s department is using UAVs to change the game.

Two tech firms are adding updated radar to unmanned aircraft, hoping to give police and firefighters better eyes in the sky and options for longer automated flights. The deal could help agencies with staffing woes.

North Carolina high school students will be able to qualify for job interviews with the drone delivery company Zipline as part of a new partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

The department bought six drones this year after voters approved Proposition E, which lets police use surveillance cameras and drones to pursue felony and violent misdemeanor suspects. The drones facilitated three arrests in July.

The local government will soon offer automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by air. The program was paid for with a $4 million grant from the American Heart Association and is in addition to existing AEDs in public places.