Resident urges Lewisville to pilot 'drone as first responder' program, calls for strong privacy rules

Adrian Doko urged Lewisville officials to consider a 'drone as first responder' (DFR) program, saying drones could deliver earlier information to police, fire and EMS and help de-escalate situations before more resources are committed. "A drone as first responders DFR program can help us deliver more tech," Doko said during the retreat's public comment period.

Doko, whom he identified as chairman of the innovation committee for the Lewisville 2035 vision plan and as the lead FAA safety team representative for North Texas, framed DFR as a tool for faster, safer responses to crashes, fires and missing-person searches. He emphasized that programs succeed only if residents trust them and urged the city to adopt "clear limits on when drones are used, not routine surveillance," along with "transparent public reporting" on use and retention of recorded material.

He raised specific privacy and oversight questions: "When recording starts, what's retained? Who can access it?" and asked for public reporting on how often recordings are used and the outcomes they produce. He also recommended "clear coordination on airspace deconfliction and safety protocols so public safety operations and responsible local drone activity can coexist safely."

Doko told the council that Lewisville should adopt community-first design principles—transparency, accountability and clear rules about access to recorded footage—if it moves forward with any pilot or program. His remarks were delivered as public comment; no formal council action was taken during the retreat on DFR and staff did not present a program proposal at this meeting.