Carmel Police Department announces launch of Drone First Responder Program

The Carmel Police Department (CPD) announces the launch of its Drone First Responder (DFR) Program, which serves to enhance the existing patrol-led drone operations under the Carmel Police Air Support Unit.

Operating under a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), CPD’s DFR drones respond directly to calls for service along with patrol officers and often arrive on the scene before them.

The improved response efficiency allows the drones to provide valuable information to the responding officers, allowing them to escalate or de-escalate their response accordingly, and sometimes clear the call before an officer arrives. This translates to increased safety for both officers and citizens, decreased response times and more efficient responses to calls for service.

CPD is the second police department in Indiana to use a DFR program and the first to use it in conjunction with a Real Time Information Center. Nationwide, there are a small but growing number of police agencies that have begun using DFR, representing a fundamental shift in the way in which drones are being used in public safety. CPD is proud to be at the leading edge of this technology as it exemplifies the department’s commitment to innovation to provide the highest level of service to the Carmel community.