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Greenville council approves drone-as-first-responder pilot with Motorola; first year equipment free
Summary
Council approved a pilot contract with Motorola Solutions and Brink Drones for a drone-as-first-responder program (equipment free in year one, $80,000/year thereafter if continued). The pilot will use existing certified pilots for daytime operations and pursue a location to cover roughly 80% of the city.
The council approved a contract to pilot a drone-as-first-responder program with Motorola Solutions (in partnership with Brink Drones), which the police chief described as “cutting edge” and free to the city in the first year. "It's free for the 1st year, which gives us an opportunity to see keep stats on how efficient it would be and will it be a good fit for the Greenville Police Department," the chief said.
The pilot would place one hardwired drone at a site identified using CAD call-volume data to maximize coverage (the chief said one drone could cover approximately 80% of the city). The system uses automated dispatch with human oversight; Lieutenant Dallas Faust explained the platform operates beyond visual line of sight using GPS, cellular mesh radios and a type of remote operation that requires licensed commercial operators. Staff told council the pilot would run during daylight hours using existing pilots on rotation and that the city could cancel the service at any time.
Council members asked about range, staffing for 24/7 operations, and how the drone would be diverted to higher-priority calls; staff and vendor representatives said operators can intervene and divert flights and that the pilot will test operational fits and staffing needs. The council moved, seconded, and unanimously approved the contract subject to final review.
