Hempstead Police Department has announced that they will deploy a new Drone-as-First-Responder (DFR) system to respond to emergency incidents and calls for service faster and more safely. The Flock Aerodome DFR system is provided by Flock Safety, the leading provider of public safety technology, and will be the company’s first DFR program in the state.
The Flock Aerodome DFR system positions drones at automated, battery-swapping docks across the city, ready to be deployed to calls for service and emergency situations at a moment’s notice. The Flock Aerodome DFR system can reach anywhere within a 4-mile radius to get immediate eyes on the scene. With an average response time of 85 seconds, DFR is a safer, more efficient response method over traditional police air assets.
Flock Safety’s DFR system integrates with Hempstead Police’s existing Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) and video cameras, speeding response times from a camera alert on a stolen vehicle, known wanted offender or detected missing person to drone dispatch. All of these systems are streamlined through Hempstead’s Real-Time Information Center.
“Drone-as-First-Responder programs will play a central role in the future of public safety, speeding emergency response, de-escalating dangerous situations, and getting to closed cases faster,” said Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley. “No other technology helps law enforcement officers get eyes on the scene faster than a drone.”
“Hempstead PD has long been at the forefront of high-tech policing, and we’re excited to see the public safety benefits this game-changing DFR system will bring to our village,” said Police Chief Richard Holland.
