By Police1 Staff
ATLANTA — The Elk Grove (California) Police Department has become the first law enforcement agency in the nation to receive a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver allowing its Drone as First Responder (DFR) system to fly without a human observer, up to 400 feet across its entire jurisdiction.
The waiver, granted with regulatory and technical support from Flock Safety, authorizes the use of Flock Aerodome, a multi-dock, multi-drone DFR system designed to improve emergency response times. With an average response time of 85 seconds, the system is directed remotely by pilots and utilizes radar-based Detect and Avoid (DAA) technology to mitigate collision risks.
Operating at 400 feet — twice the altitude permitted by any previous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waiver covering an entire jurisdiction — offers several advantages for first responders, including:
- Expanded field of view: A drone at 400 feet has four times the field of view as one at 200 feet, improving efficiency in searches for suspects or missing persons.
- Faster response times: A higher altitude enables drones to survey wider areas more quickly, reducing the need for repositioning and potentially improving response times in critical situations.
- Enhanced safety: Drones flying at higher altitudes are less visible and produce less noise, which may help prevent suspects from becoming aware of police presence and attempting to flee.
- Reduced noise impact: Quieter operation at higher altitudes minimizes potential disturbances for residents.
Elk Grove Police Chief Bobby Davis emphasized the department’s commitment to innovation, stating, “This milestone exemplifies our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge solutions to enhance public safety and better serve our Elk Grove community.”
For more information on Flock Aerodome visit https://www.flocksafety.com/flock-aerodome.