The Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) launched a Drone First Responder pilot program designed to give officers real-time information about emergency calls before they arrive on scene.
CPD said the program uses two prepositioned unmanned aircraft systems located at Chattanooga Fire Department Stations 4 and 9, which police said were selected based on crime data identifying areas where violent crime occurs most frequently.
The department said it has obtained authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate the drones within a three-mile radius of the two launch locations.
When a 911 or police-generated call for service occurs, a police officer in the department’s Real Time Intelligence Center launches a drone to the location. Once there, the aircraft transmits live video to responding officers, drone operators, and incident commanders.
CPD said the drone can remain over the scene while officers assess and stabilize the situation, then return to its launch location.
“Technology like our Drone First Responder pilot program serves as a force multiplier, providing officers critical information before they arrive on scene and helping them respond more safely and effectively,” CPD Chief John Chambers said in a statement.
Chambers also highlighted the partnership between the police and fire departments, saying the drones can assist with critical incident scenes, searches for missing persons, and disaster response when “preservation of life is a priority.”
CPD said the drones are not intended for “routine patrols or general surveillance,” noting how its unmanned aircraft policy “prohibits the department and its officers from using drones for general surveillance, harassing individuals or groups, or conducting business not law enforcement-generated or affiliated.”
Further, CPD emphasized that the drones will not “violate reasonable expectations of privacy; replace police officers; make its own decisions; or deploy to all calls or in weather conditions that would likely cause loss of pilot control of the [unmanned aircraft system].”
The department has FAA authorization to operate the aircraft within a three-mile radius of the two launch locations.
The drones and other equipment for CPD’s new program are manufactured by BRINC, an American technology company specializing in drones and software for public safety and emergency response.
An online dashboard that allows the public to view information about Drone First Responder deployments, including flight maps, durations, call types, and dates and times, is available on BRINC’s website.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
