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Council approves 12‑month drone first‑responder pilot for downtown response; initial cost $320,000
Summary
The Wichita City Council approved a one‑year pilot to deploy automated drone ‘hives’ for rapid response to priority calls in a defined southern Broadway area; staff said the system can reach many priority calls in under two minutes. Initial buildout is funded from a technology fund, with ongoing costs estimated at $61,000 per year.
The Wichita City Council approved a 12‑month pilot for a Drone First Responder (DFR) program that would place an automated drone “hive” at Fire Station 2 (1240 S. Broadway) and allow near‑instant drone deployment to priority emergency calls in the surrounding area.
What the pilot would fund: Deputy Chief Paul Duff of the Wichita Police Department said the recommended option (the “crawl” configuration) includes three docks in a single hive and three drones. The initial first‑year cost is $320,000; infrastructure modifications to Fire Station 2 (roof reinforcement, wiring and related work) were estimated…
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