Victorville Council approves drone-as-first-responder program, funded with $831,929 in SLESF money

Victorville — The Victorville City Council on Oct. 7 voted unanimously to award a professional services agreement to Brink Drones Inc. to implement a drone-as-first-responder (DFR) program and approved a budget amendment to use Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) monies not to exceed $831,929.18 for the first phase of the program.

Council members said the new program is intended to speed situational awareness, increase officer safety and allow rapid delivery of emergency payloads such as automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The DFR program will begin with three drones placed at the police station and at Fire Stations 311 and 312. Staff said the system will integrate with Victorville’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD), the city’s ShotSpotter gunshot-detection system and the city’s automatic license-plate reader (ALPR) network. City staff and Brink representatives said they expect the system to be fully integrated and operational in early 2026.

Why it matters: Council members and presenters framed the purchase as a public-safety tool that can reduce time-to-first-eyes on scene — Brink cited industry data of “about 70 seconds” to get a drone on-scene after dispatch — and said drones can clear some calls without sending personnel, freeing deputies for calls that require in-person response.

What the council approved - A professional services agreement with Brink Drones Inc. to deploy the Drone-First-Responder program. - Resolution 25-070, amending the FY…