Fort Lauderdale weighs drones and fireworks for July 4th; staff proposes pilot approach
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Summary
Parks & Recreation presented cost and operational trade-offs between traditional fireworks and drone shows for Downtown Countdown and the Fourth of July, recommending the commission pilot changes and consider sponsorships; commissioners debated environmental, safety and tradition trade-offs and asked staff to pursue sponsorship and procurement options.
Parks and Recreation deputy director Amy Jean Baptiste told the commission that drone shows offer quieter, lower-debris alternatives to traditional fireworks but are directional and can cost more depending on timing and the number of drones. She presented recent local examples: a 200-drone show for Downtown Countdown and Starlight Musicals cost $20,000–$40,000 depending on season and sponsorship; the city’s Fourth of July offshore fireworks were listed in staff materials at roughly $140,500 for barge/tug and the pyrotechnic display.
Staff told the commission that combining drones with fireworks would raise the fiscal impact by tens of thousands of dollars (examples presented: adding drones to Fourth of July could add $80,000–$100,000). For Downtown Countdown a drone-only show of 200–300 drones can cost $40,000–$60,000 and the current small fireworks-only downtown show is near $6,000.
Deputy Director Baptiste said regulatory and operational differences matter: fireworks are marine/offshore events and visible across a larger radius; drones are FAA-regulated, quieter and typically require a restricted takeoff zone and are directional, which limits visibility for some viewers (notably boaters offshore). Commissioners asked about musical accompaniment for drones, sponsorships from local developers or the county, and whether the city should pilot a drone-only Fourth of July display or keep fireworks for the 250th anniversary celebration.
Commissioners split on whether 2026, the country’s 250th anniversary, is the right year to substitute fireworks. Some urged caution, arguing tradition and spectacle favor fireworks for this milestone; others highlighted environmental benefits, lower debris and pet-safety gains for drones and recommended a hybrid or sponsored large-scale drone display.
Staff next steps: pursue procurement options, evaluate sponsorships (a solicitation for sponsorship consulting is active), and return with costed options and a recommended pilot timeline; the commission asked staff to prioritize Fourth of July planning first, and to consider whether a hybrid show could be funded in part by private sponsorship.