Buena Park approves two‑year lease with Flock Safety for 'drone‑as‑first‑responder' program
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Summary
The City Council unanimously approved a two‑year sole‑source agreement with Flock Safety for leased drone hardware, software, data storage and radar services totaling $450,000 plus an $85,000 contingency; council noted the contract will be reviewed under the police department’s military equipment use policy before launch.
The Buena Park City Council unanimously approved a two‑year agreement with Flock Safety to lease drone‑as‑first‑responder (DFR) hardware, software, evidence storage and radar services in a sole‑source contract. Staff recommended dispensing with competitive bidding on the basis the bundled capability is available only from the proposed vendor.
Program aims and capabilities: Captain Nguyen described the DFR system as allowing remotely‑operated drones to respond to calls with a single pilot, providing situational awareness minutes before officers arrive. ‘‘DFR allows the police department to respond to calls using drones, which is remotely operated from the police department,’’ Captain Nguyen said, noting current patrol‑based drone response requires two officers and is subject to FAA constraints. Staff told council the city’s current average response time for high‑priority calls is approximately three minutes, and cited comparable agencies averaging about 85 seconds using DFR.
Contract terms and budget: The staff recommendation was to approve a $450,000 agreement for hardware, software, data and radar, authorize the city manager to execute the contract and add an $85,000 budget amendment (10% contingency and insurance). Staff also said the agreement is subject to the police department’s military equipment use policy, which the council will consider in roughly 30 days before any operational expansion.
Privacy, operations and oversight: Staff emphasized that the program would be integrated with existing CAD systems, provide evidence storage, and require city supervision of contractor personnel; the council viewed a short demonstration video from a partner agency. Council members asked about license‑plate‑reading capabilities and data handling; staff said LPR is part of the vendor’s broader product set but not necessarily part of this leased drone configuration, and that all operations would comply with applicable law and department policy.
Outcome: The council voted to approve the agreement unanimously and authorized staff to finalize contract details and present the police department’s military‑equipment policy item when ready.
