Cape and the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) have announced the early results from their Drone as a First Response (DFR) program, which is part of the San Diego UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP).

Since the launch of the program in Oct. 2018, UAS equipped with the Cape Aerial Telepresence platform have conducted more than 282 flights, contributing to 20 arrests in the process.

“The Chula Vista Police Department is at the forefront of utilizing drones to enhance the science of policing,” says Chris Rittler, CEO of Cape.

“As more agencies begin to adopt drone technology, Chula Vista will undoubtedly be the agency that others from across the country look to and replicate for emergency response and support.”

The CVPD, in partnership with Cape, is the first agency in the U.S. to pioneer the Drone as a First Responder model, as it is utilizes UAS as part of its daily emergency response operations.

Thus far, the UAS have proven to be beneficial when it comes to increasing situational awareness, increasing the safety of officers and surrounding community, and better informing decisions and managing resources through real-time aerial data.

“Since launching the DFR program, the program is already having a significant impact on operations and resource management. Real-time aerial visibility is critical when informing decisions, and in an emergency situation, is vital to the safety of our officers and citizens,” explains Roxana Kennedy, Chula Vista Chief of Police.

“These early results are already proving the impact of the Drone as a First Responder model, and it’s an honor to be a part of shaping the future of drone integration in the United States.”

Through the program, UAS are being dispatched to high-priority calls such as crimes in progress, fires, traffic incidents, and reports of dangerous subjects, in close proximity of the CVPD headquarters. Once in the air, the drone’s on-board camera live streams HD video to the teleoperator in the command center, who has the ability to maneuver the UAS and the camera remotely in real-time in order to gain the exact visibility needed, and communicate with the units in the field to give them information and tactical intelligence about what they are responding to.

Typically, the UAS arrives on the scene well before responding ground units, which allows the command center to better identify and dispatch needed resources to the scene. Responding officers can also view the live stream on their mobile devices as they make their way to the scene, which gives them full visibility of the situation that they are responding to.

At this point in time, the UAS serve as active responders for a maximum of 10 hours per day, four days a week, with plans to increase over time.