Axon and Skydio have unveiled a new solution for deploying drones in public safety. This collaboration introduces a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program aimed at improving emergency response and situational awareness.
The DFR initiative allows agencies to deploy drones piloted remotely to emergency scenes, frequently arriving before ground units. These drones offer real-time situational awareness from a safe vantage point, improving response times, safety strategies for officers and communities, and optimizing resource allocation. Drones are instrumental in various scenarios, including suspect and missing person searches, de-risking vehicle stops, documenting incident scenes, and evidence collection. A well-implemented DFR program can provide critical information across operations, aiding in incident de-escalation and community safety.
This partnership integrates Skydio’s drone technology with Axon’s public safety products to equip agencies nationwide with a DFR solution. The package includes U.S.-made autonomous drones, docking stations, integrated flight control software from Skydio, real-time operations and crime center capabilities, evidence management from Axon, and fleet management through Axon Air Powered by DroneSense. Dedrone's airspace awareness and deconfliction technology enable beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, extending the benefits of DFR to more communities and future applications beyond public safety.
“Drones are the future of public safety. If we can provide first responders more time, more information and, effectively, more resources, we can drastically improve the way they protect our communities,” said Axon Founder and Chief Executive Officer Rick Smith. “Skydio is the best drone technology partner to support our customers to further realize the value of DFR and will be a key component to our ultimate goal of protecting more lives in more places, including those of our officers.”
“Skydio’s mission to make the world more productive and safe through autonomous flight is perfectly matched with Axon’s mission to protect life,” said Skydio Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Adam Bry. “This is an exciting time for drones in public safety, as their impact expands from smaller, specialized teams to fundamentally transforming the nature of first response. We couldn’t be more excited to deepen our partnership with Axon and bring to life our shared vision of making communities across the country, and around the world, safer.”
The new offering provides public safety agencies with the tools to seamlessly customize and scale their drone and DFR programs. While the full DFR package is ideal for many, the partnership offers flexibility to meet unique agency needs and operational requirements, integrating with various hardware and software options.
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