Harford County Sheriff's Office plans drones-on-station to reach 911 calls in 30-90 seconds
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Summary
Sergeant Walt Smith outlined a Drones as First Responders (DFR) program that will station drones on county buildings, listen to live 911 dispatches and allow operators to launch aircraft tied to specific calls; flights will be documented and restricted to priority incidents, the office said.
Sergeant Walt Smith, team leader of the Harford County Sheriff's Office drone unit, said the office launched its drone program in 2021 and has grown to 14 pilots with 14 drones. "Instead of our officers receiving the call and arriving on scene and then launching the drones, we'll have drones strategically located on top of county buildings," Smith said, adding that operators can launch on live 911 calls and get "the drone up in the air and on scene within 30 to about 90 seconds."
Smith said the rapid response is intended to enhance officer safety and give on-scene officers and commanders a clearer picture of unfolding events before they arrive. "If we can slow things down, make the scene safe, and sometimes deescalate situations," he said, "that's the purpose." The office tied the system to 911 dispatches and stressed oversight: "Every flight will be documented and auditable, and every flight will be tied to a call for service," Smith said.
Officials described several operational limits meant to protect privacy. Smith said the drones will respond to priority calls and "in no way, shape, or form, we'll be looking in yards or businesses or anything like that and violating anybody's rights." He also described training standards for operators, noting a rigorous one-week training course that pushes pilots through scenarios designed to test limits and decision making.
The office selected the Skydio X10 platform for the program, citing its six-camera array, 3-D obstacle-avoidance modeling, night-sense capability for low- or no-light flight, a front-facing zoom camera and an IR (thermal) sensor that can show heat signatures to locate fleeing subjects or animals during searches. Smith said the technology and the training together are intended to make drones a safe, auditable tool in first-responder work.
The agency did not provide an operational rollout timetable or details on which county buildings will house the drones. Officials said flights will be tied to 911 calls and that policy, documentation and auditing practices will be used to safeguard privacy and public trust.
