Sparks Police Department announces DFR program
The department has acquired a docked drone that will be used to respond to calls across the city within two minutes
Sparks Police Department, in the US state of Nevada, has announced that it has implemented a drone as first responder (DFR) program to enhance response times.
The department stated that the program is intended to provide “critical aerial support during search and rescue (SAR) missions, natural disasters, crime prevention, and critical incident responses”.
The program comprises a fleet of piloted drones equipped with high-resolution, electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) cameras, obstacle avoidance, and GPS tracking.
An additional, automated drone with a centrally-located docking station will also be used to respond to the most critical calls within two minutes.
As well as aiding in “solving crimes” in the city of Sparks itself, the department stated that its program would also be used to provide assistance to “neighboring jurisdictions”.
Uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) management platform developer DroneSense recently partnered with MatrixSpace to enhance DFR operations. .
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.