Bellingham Police Drone Program Unit. Image Courtesy of Bellingham Police public domain
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Bellingham Police Department has launched a new Drone as First Responder program that allows remotely piloted aircraft to be sent toward some emergency calls before officers, firefighters or medics arrive on the ground.
The city announced the program Tuesday, saying drones stationed around Bellingham can reach some incidents in less than two minutes and provide first responders with live video of what is happening at the scene.
The goal is to give emergency crews more information while they are still responding, rather than having officers arrive with only the initial details provided during a 911 call.
Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig said the live view can help the department determine what resources are needed and, in some circumstances, reduce the level of response if the situation turns out to be different from what was originally reported.
The idea is similar in some respects to a tool that major police departments have used for decades: helicopters.
Large metropolitan agencies have long relied on police helicopters to reach scenes quickly, follow developing incidents and provide officers on the ground with an aerial view. Bellingham’s system brings some of that same capability to a smaller city using remotely operated drones rather than a staffed helicopter.
The difference is scale. Instead of launching an aircraft with a flight crew from an aviation unit, BPD can deploy smaller drones from fixed locations around the city and have them piloted remotely by trained officers.
Continue Reading
Three drone locations provide coverage around Bellingham
BPD’s drones are stationed at three locations: the Bellingham Police Department, the city’s Pacific Street Operations Center and Bellis Fair mall.
The locations are intended to allow the aircraft to reach calls throughout Bellingham quickly.
Although the program is operated by the police department, the drones can support more than law enforcement calls. According to the city, the system can be used during police, fire and emergency medical responses as well as larger emergencies and disaster situations.
A drone arriving ahead of emergency crews could, for example, help responders determine whether an incident is still active, how many people appear to be involved or whether additional resources may be needed before personnel reach the scene.
The aircraft do not replace officers or other first responders. Instead, they provide another source of information as crews make their way to an incident.
BPD outlines privacy rules for new drone program
The launch also brings new questions about how police drones will be used around residential neighborhoods and other parts of the city.
BPD says each flight is operated by a trained officer and logged on a public dashboard.
According to the department, the drone’s camera is kept pointed toward the horizon while traveling to an incident and is not directed downward at properties along the route.
Police also said the drones do not use automated license plate reader technology.
Once a drone arrives at an incident, video that is recorded and retained as evidence is stored in the same secure evidence system BPD uses for body-worn camera footage. The department says access is restricted to authorized personnel.
The public flight dashboard is intended to provide another level of transparency by allowing residents to review where the department’s drones have been deployed.
Drones becoming a larger part of emergency response
Drone programs have expanded among law enforcement agencies around the country as departments look for ways to obtain aerial information without the expense and infrastructure required to maintain a traditional police aviation unit.
For Bellingham, the program gives first responders access to an aerial perspective that has historically been much more common in larger metropolitan areas with dedicated helicopters.
The technology could be particularly useful during calls where conditions change quickly and dispatchers have limited information about what officers may encounter.
BPD says the program is designed to help crews make more informed decisions before they arrive, while maintaining safeguards around how the aircraft and their cameras are used.
The department’s Drone as First Responder program is now operating across Bellingham.
About the Author
Discover more from Bellingham Metro News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
