Chesterfield launches drone first responder program

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Chesterfield County has launched a “Drone as First Responder” program, combining the county’s law enforcement, fire and emergency communications agencies to deploy drones to active emergency scenes ahead of ground units.

Officials said the program is not intended to replace human police officers or firefighters, but to provide real-time intelligence that helps first responders make safer decisions on approach.

Three drones are now housed in docking stations on the rooftops of Meadowbrook High School, A.M. Davis Elementary School, and Manchester Middle School — all located within the Falling Creek Division.

The county said those locations were selected based on the volume and types of calls typically seen in the surrounding areas.

When a high-priority call comes in, including robberies, active threats, fires, or missing persons, pilots can deploy a drone to the scene in minutes.

The drones travel at 45 miles per hour and are equipped with thermal cameras, sensors, spotlights, and a parachute.

“Time is of the essence, and a lot of times we are restricted with traffic conditions and weather conditions,” Chesterfield Police Chief Frank Carpenter said. “This tool allows us to be able to get on scene, provide real-time intelligence.”

During automated flight, the camera is locked forward so it cannot look down into homes, yards, or businesses. Once the drone is close enough to the scene, a pilot takes manual control.

“Having an aerial vantage point gives the ground units a perspective that we never really were able to take advantage of,” Carpenter said. “They are able to get ground units coordinated, provide a perimeter, and close in.”

Chesterfield County Fire and EMS Chief Edward Senter Jr. said the drone’s early arrival can also help keep firefighters and other first responders safe on their way to a scene.

“If that drone operator sees that there’s no active fire visible from the outside, the other half dozen or so units that are responding can just drive as they normally would,” Senter said. “And that reduces the risk to the firefighters and to the public.”

Chesterfield County worked with other localities with drone programs to develop its policy, which includes privacy safeguards.

Drones can only be used for high-priority calls and are prohibited from routine patrols or surveillance.

Every call and its flight path are also made public on an online dashboard within one week, and video footage is deleted after 21 days unless it becomes evidence.

The program costs around $900,000 over five years. Carpenter said the investment is justified by the potential cost savings from more efficient emergency response.

“When you think about the cost savings of responding officers to these locations, or responding personnel, it’s worth it,” Carpenter said.

You can find the county’s drone response dashboard here.