Huntington Beach Police Launch Drone Program to Cut Emergency Response Time

The Huntington Beach Police Department is set to launch Orange County's first Drone as First Responder (DFR) program on September 13, aiming to reduce response times to emergency calls from about five minutes to two minutes or less. The program will utilize three Skydio X10 drones stationed on rooftops at strategic locations across the city, remotely piloted by 17 trained officers from the police station's real-time crime center. These drones provide a bird’s-eye view of crime scenes, allowing officers en route to assess situations and adjust tactics accordingly, enhancing officer safety and operational efficiency. The initiative, funded with an annual budget of $120,000, also supports disaster preparedness and search efforts such as locating lost children or seniors. The department emphasized that drones will not be used to infringe on residents' privacy but will instead serve as a critical tool to improve public safety and investigation capabilities. Similar programs in other large cities have reported that drones handle 20 to 25 percent of patrol calls, highlighting the potential impact of the Huntington Beach program.