Port St. Lucie's Drone as First Responder program achieved immediate success during its first day of testing and evaluation on Wednesday, locating a missing autistic woman near a canal before officers arrived on scene. Police received a report of an autistic female walking through a wooded area adjacent to a canal bank. A DFR drone was remotely deployed from the police department and reached the scene faster than responding officers, quickly identifying both the missing woman and the person who reported her. Drone operators kept visual contact with both individuals and relayed their exact location to responding officers, enabling a safe reunion with her family. Police Chief Leo Niemczyk emphasized the program's immediate impact, stating "This program is about saving lives, and on day one, that's exactly what it helped us do." He added that "the successful location of a vulnerable autistic female near a canal before officers arrived demonstrates the tremendous value this technology brings to our community."
The agency completed 17 missions during the first day of operations. Beyond the missing person case, drones responded to several other emergency situations. They provided aerial surveillance during a burglary in progress, monitoring the area while officers approached and cleared the residence. During a domestic violence investigation, a drone arrived before patrol officers and spotted a suspect hiding in a backyard, providing real-time video feed to responding officers and supervisors. The drones also responded to multiple disturbance calls involving groups of minors, helping officers assess the situations and determine appropriate responses.
The DFR program integrates directly with the police department's computer-aided dispatch system. When emergency calls come in, trained personnel remotely launch drones from the station, placing surveillance on scene before officers arrive. In most cases, drones reach locations within seconds, with the longest travel time in the coverage area being approximately four minutes. Each drone operates for an average of 25 to 35 minutes per flight, depending on weather conditions. Currently, three drone docks are active as part of the testing phase, with plans to expand to six docks positioned throughout the city once the program becomes fully operational.
The DFR team consists of 12 specially trained officers. Police say drones may be deployed for active threats, burglaries, robberies, shootings, kidnappings, barricaded subjects, school emergencies, felony traffic stops, fleeing suspects, locating missing people, vehicle crashes, hazardous materials incidents, fires, and traffic monitoring. Chief Niemczyk noted that "technology will never replace our officers. But when technology allows us to locate a vulnerable person faster, improve officer safety, and provide better service to our residents, it's an investment worth making."