Everett installs first drone docks, plans six-site network with Flock Safety

Robert Getz and Lieutenant Jeff Albright of the Everett Police Department updated the Community Health and Safety Council Committee on Oct. 1 that the department has installed two drone docks at the South Precinct and began training flights, with plans to operate a six-dock network covering the city.

"We hope by the end of next week that we are starting to respond to actual 9 1 1 calls," Robert Getz said, describing the department’s timeline after initial training flights. Getz said the city negotiated with vendor Flock Safety to increase the planned deployment from two docks to six to achieve citywide coverage.

Deployment and timeline: Getz said two docks were installed on the South Precinct and that the department expects two additional docks to be delivered by October, with those to be installed on top of what presenters referred to as "EMV." Final placement for the central-area docks is under discussion with a private partner; the department hopes all six docks will be operational by mid-to-late November.

Training and operations: The department conducted "train the trainer" sessions for experienced pilots and plans wider pilot training to reach 24/7 coverage if needed. The program will permit certified pilots to operate any of the six docks from the South Precinct operations center; pilots can also log in from other locations to fly additional drones during high-activity periods.

Airspace and FAA coordination: Because Everett is adjacent to Paine Field, Jeff Albright said the department is working with the Federal Aviation Administration on letters of agreement and airspace waivers. "Right now we're flying at 200 feet and below. Once our agreement is in place with the FAA, we'll be able to fly in certain areas of the south end of the city up to the altitude of 400 feet," Albright said. He also described geofencing features that prevent drones from entering restricted airspace without explicit permission from air-traffic control.

Data, retention and transparency: Albright said flight video used as evidence will be retained as needed; non-evidentiary video will be retained for up to 90 days and then deleted, following a policy he likened to body-worn camera retention. Getz said a public-facing dashboard will go live when flights begin; it will show mission types, where the drones flew, the number of times a drone was first on scene and statistics such as suspect identification or missing-person assists.

Contract and budget: Getz said the city’s agreement with Flock Safety is structured as a two-year contract that begins only when the sixth dock is in place; the first year functions as a "prove it" year and includes an opt-out if the city decides not to continue. He said the vendor has agreed to upgrade antennas and related equipment as newer generations become available and that adding docks did not change the initial budget. Getz indicated the department is exploring funding for subsequent years should it choose to continue after the trial period.

Regional coordination and public outreach: Presenters said the system is intended to provide services to neighboring jurisdictions by agreement and that Everett is the first city in Snohomish County to deploy a DFR network at this scale; Redmond operates a different, smaller drone-first-responder program. The department plans public tours of its drone operations center after pilots complete field training, likely within a few weeks.

Council members asked about data-sharing agreements, retention, the FAA memorandum and budget implications. Presenters said the FAA agreement covers airspace use and does not include an exchange of data with the FAA; they also said there are no current data-sharing agreements with outside entities beyond law-enforcement evidence processes.