PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Port St. Lucie's new eye in the sky proved its worth on day one of testing, locating a missing autistic person before she could enter a body of water.
Police launched its new Drone as First Responder (DFR) program on Wednesday, responding to and completing 17 missions on its first day of testing and evaluation.
WATCH BELOW: Port St. Lucie police drone locates missing person on day one of testing
A mission most noteworthy was its use in helping find a female on the autism spectrum who was reported missing.
The agency said they received a report of an autistic female walking through a wooded area near a canal bank. Police said a DFR drone was remotely deployed and arrived at the scene before responding officers.
The drone was able to quickly locate both the missing female and the reporting party.
Drone operators maintained visual contact and directed responding officers to their exact location, allowing officers to safely reunite the female with her family.
"This program is about saving lives, and on day one, that's exactly what it helped us do," Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said in a statement. "The successful location of a vulnerable autistic female near a canal before officers arrived demonstrates the tremendous value this technology brings to our community. This is more than a drone program, it's a public safety tool that allows us to respond faster, gather critical information, and make better decisions when seconds matter."
Police did not share the location of the rescue or the age of the female who was safely located.
The agency said its DFR drones responded to a variety of calls for service on Wednesday, including the following:
- A burglary in progress, where the drone provided aerial overwatch while officers approached and cleared the residence
- A domestic violence investigation, where the drone arrived before patrol officers and located a suspect in a backyard, providing real-time intelligence and a live video feed to responding officers and supervisors.
- Multiple disturbance calls involving groups of minors, allowing officers to assess conditions and determine the appropriate response
HOW THE DRONE PROGRAM WORKS
Police said the DFR program integrates directly with its computer-aided dispatch system. As emergency calls are received, trained personnel can remotely deploy the drones from the police department, helping police place "eyes on scene" before officers arrive.
"In many cases, drones can reach calls within seconds, while the longest travel time within the coverage area is approximately four minutes," police said.
Once fully operational, police said the program will consist of six drone docks strategically placed throughout Port St. Lucie. Three docks are currently installed and active as part of the agency's testing and evaluation phase.
"Each drone has an average flight time of approximately 25 to 35 minutes, depending on weather conditions and provides real-time situational awareness to officers responding to emergencies," police said.
The agency said the drones may be deployed in the following circumstances:
- Active threats
- Burglaries
- Robberies
- Shootings
- Kidnappings
- Barricaded subjects
- School-related emergencies
- Felony traffic stops
- Fleeing suspects
- Locating missing adults or children
- Vehicle crashes
- Hazardous materials incidents
- Structure and brush fires
- Traffic monitoring
The DFR team currently consists of 12 specially trained officers.
"Technology will never replace our officers," Niemczyk said in a statement. "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. Day one proved exactly why this program matters."
Police said the drones improve situational awareness, increase officer safety and help deliver faster, more effective responses to emergencies throughout Port St. Lucie.
