Coral Springs approves drone first‑responder program and purchase, to be paid largely from forfeiture funds and grants

The Coral Springs City Commission on May 20 authorized a drone first‑responder program and approved a contract amendment to acquire drones and docking systems, with most of the cost covered by forfeiture funds and grants.

Chief Whelan described the program as an automated, CAD‑integrated platform that would place three docking stations on city buildings (including fire stations and the police station) so drones can fly automatically to the scene of a priority call. He said the system would provide rapid situational awareness for public‑safety incidents — from fleeing suspects to missing children — and estimated drones could deliver “eyes on scene” within 30 to 40 seconds when deployed from those locations.

Funding and procurement Staff described a contract value in the meeting record of about $465,000 and said $296,000 of that would be paid from law‑enforcement forfeiture funds and $175,000 from grant money. Staff also asked the commission to waive parts of the procurement code and amend an existing contract with Axon to procure Skydio drones and docking systems. The commission approved the purchase and the procurement waiver by voice vote.

Why it matters: city officials said the program will improve response times in life‑safety calls (for instance, possible drowning or a missing child) without adding to the general fund because the purchase will be covered by forfeiture and grant sources for an initial contract period.

What officials said Chief Whelan: “It’s about, at the end of the day, it’s about efficiency and saving lives,” he said, adding that drones provide rapid aerial visibility for incidents that are difficult to locate from the ground. He said the program will expand an existing drone capability and integrate it with the city’s CAD and response systems.

Financial details and duration Officials said the package will cover operations and support for just over three years (40 months) without requiring general‑fund spending during that period. Staff characterized the funding split as $296,000 from forfeiture funds and $175,000 from grant funding; staff also referenced a meeting figure of roughly $465,000 as the total contract value in the public record. (Transcript numbers are internally inconsistent by a few thousand dollars between stated total and component amounts; staff attributed most of the expense to forfeiture and grant revenues at the meeting.)

Next steps The commission’s approval authorizes staff to amend the city’s contract and proceed with procurement under the agreed terms; staff said they will track grant and forfeiture compliance and return to the commission for any ongoing budget or program alterations beyond the covered period.

Reported facts - Program design: three docking stations, integrated with the city’s CAD system, located on city buildings for rapid drone deployment. - Estimated on‑scene drone time: 30–40 seconds from deployment location. - Funding reported at the meeting: staff cited a total contract value of about $465,000 and described $296,000 from forfeiture funds plus $175,000 from grants to cover the purchase and program for ~40 months.

The commission approved both the forfeiture authorization and the contract amendment by unanimous voice vote.