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Show Low council approves three-year contract for drone-as-first-responder program
Summary
Council approved a contract with Flock Safety for a drone-as-first-responder system with a 60-day opt-out; the first-year cost is about $50,000, with two optional renewal years at about $150,000 per year.
The Show Low City Council approved a three-year contract with Flock Safety for a drone-as-first-responder (DFR) program that city staff said will provide rapid aerial imagery and integrate with existing license plate reader systems.
Police Commander (presenter) Jason Westover told the council that recent incidents showed a need for faster aerial response. “The ability to provide an aerial view and provide pre-arrival intelligence to first responders will help increase officer safety and minimize liability to the city,” Westover said. Staff described the system as including autonomous flight control, an AI interface, automated reporting, FAA certificate handling and integration with the city’s records management and CAD systems.
Under the contract approved by the council, the city's first-year cost is $49,999.09 plus applicable taxes, with the option to opt out during a 60-day testing period. If the city continues, staff described two additional annual renewal terms each at approximately $150,000 plus taxes for years 2026 and 2027. Westover said Flock Safety offered a substantial first-year discount compared with comparable market pricing to make the program affordable for a smaller agency.
The council viewed a short video from Scottsdale Police that showed the DFR unit reaching scenes in under two minutes in that department’s experience; the video described cases where drones were used to locate persons, support stolen vehicle recoveries and assist in arrest operations. The council asked questions about operational practices and oversight. Westover said flights are logged and auditable and that departments using the system publish logs under public record rules: “Everything that we do related to DFR is driven by very strong policy. A log is filled out and all available by Freedom of Information Act,” he said.
Mayor John Leach Jr. moved to approve the contract; Councilman Adams seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Staff noted the provider was brought forward as a sole-source vendor and that the contract included automated logging and audit controls. Implementation steps include a 60-day testing period, FAA coordination, staff training, and policy finalization. The city said it will monitor costs and outcomes during the pilot period and may cancel before the end of the initial term if the system does not meet expectations.
