Some 911 calls in Denton this month are getting an aerial look before the first patrol car or fire engine pulls up.
The Denton Police Department and Denton Fire Department began a monthlong Drone as First Responder trial on Thursday, Oct. 1. The pilot runs during October, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Drone maker Skydio loaned the city two X10 drones at no cost for the test. Certified pilots, drawn from officers and firefighters, are scheduled around the clock in the city's 911 dispatch center. They listen to incoming calls and can launch a drone from its docking station to the address in seconds, then watch its live video from the dispatch floor.
The aircraft fly at roughly 45 mph.
Why remote launch
The two departments have flown drones together since 2022, but those must be carried to a scene by a pilot and set up there. Deputy Chief Bryan Cose told the Record-Chronicle that when a pilot is far from a call, that step can add "20-plus minutes" before a drone is overhead.
Cose gave the example of a caller who cannot say which I-35 exit a wreck is near: a drone that arrives first can give officers the exact spot, or show that a stalled car has already moved on.
