FCPD expands use of drones as first responders

The Fairfax County Police Department is expanding its use of drones as first responders in coordination with the Fire and Rescue Department.

A pilot-test launched last year on using drones as first responders has been successful in improving public safety and reducing response times, Maj. Hudson Bull of FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau, told the Board of Supervisors’ Safety and Security Committee on Feb. 24.

During the first phase of the program, drones were docked at the Fair Oaks and Franconia police stations and were used in 100 missions.

First on the scene

The average response time was 83 seconds, and a drone was first on the scene in 71 missions, said Assistant Police Chief Bob Blakley. Two additional locations are being added in Phase 2.

During Phase 3, to occur this summer and fall, drones will be stationed at police facilities in 18 locations throughout the county – in places where there’s a high volume of service calls involving crime or traffic crashes.

So far, drones have been used to help coordinate the arrest of a dangerous suspect in a public parking lot, locate a suspect who attempted to force entry into a house, feed video of vehicles on fire to the fire command, and find missing persons.

In one case, Bull said, police received a call about a man pointing a bow and arrow at a roadway near Fair Oaks Mall. Video from a drone flight revealed it was a walking stick, which reduced the urgency of officers’ response on the ground.

In another case, drones helped police officers locate a man who had threatened people with a baseball bat and take him into custody, Bull said. And when a school reported that an autistic student ran away, a drone found him hiding in the bushes.

The drones are launched and piloted from the FCPD Real Time Crime Center.

When a 911 call is received, an FAA-certified drone pilot flies the drone from a police station to the emergency and sends the video feed to responding police officers or firefighters. After the mission, the drone is flown back to its docking station, where it’s recharged and the video feed is downloaded for possible use as evidence.   

The 911 system

The five-pound Skydio X10 drones used by FCPD have a thermal camera, speaker or spotlight, night sensor, parachute, collision avoidance technology, and FAA-approved lighting.

The parachute can deploy manually or automatically. When deployed, the drone emits a loud popping noise to warn anyone below. So far, a parachute has never had to be used, Bull said.

The drones can only fly in a two-mile radius from their docking station and can remain in flight for 25 minutes with a typical speed of 35 mph. They’re generally flown at 200 feet.

To address privacy concerns, the camera points forward until the drone arrives on site. “We’re not just looking around when we’re flying,” Blakley said.

When the program is fully implemented with 18 drones, Bull estimates drones will fly about 9,500 missions a year. The police department plans to start posting drone flight logs online this spring.

Blakley hopes that, with support from the Board of Supervisors, the drone program will eventually be totally integrated with the 911 system. When keywords are mentioned in a call, such as “gun,” “shot,” or “fire,” a drone would be launched even before police or fire crews are dispatched to the scene.

FCPD is absorbing the cost of the drone program through the current year and will request more funding as the program expands in the future, Blakley said.

He said FCPD was the first department in the region allowed to fly drones beyond the line of sight in the restricted D.C. airspace zone.