Title
Report regarding a resolution approving consideration of a Potential Drone First Responder Site at Westborough Preschool (Lester Palacios, Lieutenant)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution to consider using Westborough Preschool as a new docking site for the Police Department's Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
A drone, also called an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), is a small aircraft that is controlled remotely from the ground. Police departments use drones to help improve safety and respond to emergencies more quickly. Drones can help with tasks such as documenting crime scenes, searching for missing people or evidence, responding to disasters, and assisting during major incidents.
In a Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program, drones are stored in special docking stations around the city. When a 911 call is received, an officer can launch a drone from a computer. The drone can often reach the scene within minutes-sometimes before police, firefighters, or paramedics arrive. The drone sends live video back to first responders so they can better understand the situation and make safer, faster decisions.
The Police Department would like to expand the program to the Westborough area. Currently, two drones are located at the Police Department building near the center of the city. Because drones have limited battery life, flying long distances takes more time and reduces how long they can stay in the air. Adding a docking station in the Westborough area, such as at Westborough Preschool, would allow a drone to respond faster to emergencies in that neighborhood.
So far, the program has completed 258 drone flights, averaging about two flights per day. In 65% of calls, the drone arrived first. In nearly 13% of calls, the drone helped officers determine that no in-person response was needed.
FISCAL IMPACT
The estimated cost to install a drone docking station and rel...
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