Public Safety
OC Sheriff begins drone first-responder program in three cities
The first phase will send unarmed drones to selected emergency calls in Laguna Hills, Lake Forest and Stanton to give deputies live information before or as they arrive.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said its new Drone as a First Responder program is beginning this month in three contract cities. Department-operated aircraft may respond to calls for service, missing-person reports and critical or hazardous incidents, providing real-time views that can help deputies assess conditions and coordinate their response.
Phase 1 communities: Laguna Hills, Lake Forest and Stanton
Aircraft: Unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles
Operators: FAA-certified Sheriff’s Department personnel
A supplemental response tool
The department said drones are intended to supplement—not replace—deputies, dispatchers and other emergency personnel. Officials also said deployments must be for authorized public-safety purposes under department policy, with flight-reporting information made available through the agency’s public DFR page.
Official announcement: Read the Orange County Sheriff’s Department release →