Drone as First Responder Programs: 2025 in Review

"A DFR program features a fleet of camera-equipped drones, which can range from just a couple to dozens or more. These are deployed from a launch pad in response to 911 calls and other calls for service, sometimes operated by a drone pilot or, increasingly, autonomously directed to the call location. The appeal is the promise of increased "situational awareness" for officers headed to a call."

"In order to deploy a drone beyond where it can be seen, operators need to receive a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and all DFR programs require this. Police departments and technology vendors have complained that the process takes too long, and in May, FAA finalized reworked requirements, leading to a flood of waiver requests. An FAA spokesperson reported that in the first two months of the new waiver process, it had approved 410 such waivers,"

"The federal government made other major moves on the drone front this year. A month after the new waivers went to effect, President Trump issued an Executive Order with aspirations for advancing the country's drone industry. And at the end of the year, one of the largest drone manufacturers in the world and one of the biggest purveyors of law enforcement drones, DJI, will be banned from launching new products in the U.S."

In 2025 first responder drone (DFR) adoption accelerated, normalizing the technology and integrating drones into real-time crime center operations with automated deployment. DFR programs use fleets of camera-equipped drones deployed from launch pads in response to 911 and other service calls, sometimes piloted and increasingly autonomously directed, promising enhanced situational awareness for responding officers. Operators require FAA waivers to fly beyond visual line of sight; reworked FAA requirements triggered a surge of waiver requests and approvals, with 410 waivers approved in the first two months of the new process. Federal actions included an Executive Order promoting the drone industry and proposed restrictions on a major manufacturer pending security audits.

Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation