Drones as a City Resource

• DCR is a multiagency tool that can be used to garner situational awareness prior to the arrival of emergency responders.
• FC 911 Dispatch can initiate DCR if they feel it would be beneficial. Launch of DCR is noted within documentation for the call.
• DCR drones are Skydio X10.
• Response time after a drone is launched can be as fast as 90 seconds.
• Battery life and weather conditions factor into overall drone flight time; limit is approximately 30 minutes.

Yes, Fort Collins Police Services has a specific policy regarding the use of drones, also called UAS – Unmanned Aerial Systems. Any drone use will be in strict accordance with constitutional and privacy rights and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and regulations.

View the FCPS UAS Operations Policy 311

• There are 3 drones located at 2 stations in the city.
• DCR is operated under FAA Part 91 Waiver and the drones are compliant with FAA regulations.
• Many dispatchers and employees have been trained to operate the DCR program.
• Within the Part 91 Waiver, DCR drones operate at 200ft altitude to reduce the noise to citizens and meet FAA requirements.

• Drones can be deployed to a scene ahead of personnel responding (i.e. fire, traffic collision, water rescue, water main break) and allow for an assessment of the scene. This may result in a need for additional resources or even the cancellation of resources, essentially allowing for rightsizing and efficient response. All utilizers (PFA, FCPS and City Utilities) are able to gather valuable information prior to a response.
• This tool provides additional scene awareness so responding personnel can monitor from a safe distance/position. Valuable information can be shared with incoming personnel to increase the safety of fire fighters, officers and community members.
• Using drones can reduce unnecessary dispatches and allow personnel from all service areas the ability to redistribute time/efforts.

• The DCR program covers the City of Fort Collins, extending into Larimer County where PFA also provides services.
• There are 3 docking stations housed at two different PFA station houses in Fort Collins.

• DCR drones may potentially fly over private or residential property only while enroute to calls. These drones will rarely hover over a residence unless doing so meets state and constitutional law.
• The drone features integrated safety technology, including obstacle avoidance and visual sensors—alongside a parachute system that slows descent to ensure maximum safety for those on the ground in the event of a technical failure.

• There is no specific type of call that a drone can be utilized for. They are most frequently used as a tool for low priority calls and initial assessments, which helps free up personnel to focus on situations where an in-person response is truly needed. They are also utilized for high priority calls that may need additional scene awareness for the safety of community members and responding personnel.
• DCR drones are launched for specific purposes (i.e. fire, traffic collision, water rescue, water main break) and return to their docking station once the responding ground resources arrive on-scene, unless needed at the personnels’ request. Drones are sent to designated locations and may fly over private or residential property only while enroute to those locations. They are not utilized for “random” patrol or observation. At all times, they must comply with law, policy, and ethics.

• Real-time drone footage is only accessible by FCPS employees monitoring incident activity to provide appropriate deployment of resources and enhance safety for responders and community members.
• DCR video recordings are then stored on our Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliant platform, Evidence.com, per Colorado Records Management and Retentions Schedule.
• Any recorded imagery is subject to a formal Records Request, which is the same process for other requests for information from our agency.