Editor’s note: We talk a lot about drone technology, but in this article, Fritz Reber cuts straight to the real challenge agencies are struggling with — how to staff a Drone as First Responder program in a way that actually works. His point is simple: DFR succeeds when departments prioritize the chair, not the aircraft. Dedicated pilots give agencies the speed advantage that defines DFR, and many are now clearing 15%-40% of calls before officers arrive. For leaders weighing how to launch or scale their program, this piece explains why staffing isn’t a hurdle — it’s the key to unlocking DFR’s value.
One of the most common questions I get from agencies standing up a drone as first responder (DFR) program is, “How are we going to staff it?” The truth is, there’s no single right answer. Every department has its own challenges, budget constraints and personnel realities. But let’s be honest: it’s not that they don’t have people. Every agency already has people doing something. The real issue is priority — chiefs, sheriffs and city leaders are constantly making cost-benefit decisions about which positions bring the biggest return on investment.
Shifting priorities to make DFR work
The key to staffing DFR isn’t always about adding new people; often it’s about reassigning priorities. Sometimes that means pulling someone from a role with less ROI. Other times it means finding creative ways to pilot the program, using volunteers, retirees, injured-on-duty officers or hiring less expensive civilian pilots. Some departments put their real time policing teams in charge of flying, combining drone operations with their other real-time tools. Again, there’s no wrong answer here. But if you want DFR to succeed, you should understand what makes it powerful in the first place.
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DFR is all about speed
The biggest success stories from DFR programs across the country all share one thing in common: dedicated DFR pilots. Without those pilots launching within the first crucial seconds, many of the lives saved and suspects caught simply wouldn’t have happened. These pilots aren’t balancing other duties or waiting for someone to give the green light. Their only focus is getting that drone in the air and on scene as fast as humanly possible (yes, irony intended). That’s what separates DFR from traditional patrol-led drone programs, where a drone often sits in a trunk until it’s flown by someone who’s already on scene and in harm’s way.
DFR stands apart because it arrives early, often before a call is even entered into CAD. That rapid response changes everything. Whether it’s a major incident or a routine call for service, having eyes on the scene before ground units arrive provides the awareness and speed that shape better outcomes: safer approaches, faster resolutions and smarter decisions.
Those are the moments that make even the most skeptical agency head say, “If I could rebuild this department from scratch, I’d start by filling the DFR chair.”
The key to staffing DFR isn’t always about adding new people; often it’s about reassigning priorities.
DFR as a resource management tool
Every department loves to staff investigative and specialty units — narcotics, gangs, task forces, you name it. These are the prestigious positions, the ones that feel like the real, high-level police work. But how often have you seen one of those teams say, “Hey, patrol’s struggling to meet response times, let’s send them some of our people?” Never. We always pull from patrol, not the other way around.
Here’s what we’re learning though: when you get better on the front end of calls — getting there fast, making early arrests — you save a mountain of time on the back end. One solid on-scene arrest can save detectives days, weeks or months of follow-up work. And when you think about the cost of a single officer involved shooting (OIS) investigation — millions of dollars and thousands of hours — it’s worth asking: what if DFR prevented even one of those?
“If I could rebuild this department from scratch, I’d start by filling the DFR chair.”
This is exactly where real-time operations, supported by DFR, are proving their value. This isn’t theoretical; it’s a practical shift away from costly, slow reactive investigations. By integrating LPR, gunshot detection, 911 streaming and cameras, agencies are transforming their model by perfecting the proactive incident response.
This DFR-led approach demonstrates that mastering the basics of an immediate, every day response can reduce overall crime more effectively than many of the specialized units competing for the same resources. Most importantly, it achieves this at a significantly lower cost by resolving incidents immediately rather than funding lengthy, traditional follow-ups.
The all-in approach to dedicated pilots as a resource multiplier
If you’re serious about launching a DFR program, I suggest going all in from the start. While “dipping your toes” seems prudent, cutting corners on staffing may prevent you from understanding the program’s true value. A successful program typically requires dedicated pilots — personnel whose sole focus during their shift is to monitor incoming data and respond immediately by drone.
You want them laser focused on real-time 911 calls and other pre-CAD alerts, enabling them to launch in the first moments of an incident. The payoff from this focus is profound: early situational awareness that is only possible by arriving well before ground units. This dedicated approach quickly delivers the “wins” you need to justify reallocating resources.
This model quickly pays for itself. DFR programs across the country are clearing anywhere from 15% to 40% of calls during a shift with the drone response alone. This is why watch commanders at successful DFR agencies will inevitably say, “If I had to choose between another patrol officer in the field or a DFR pilot in the chair, I’d take the pilot.”
| DOWNLOAD: How to fund Drone as First Responder programs (eBook)
Building the response muscle for speed
To begin, you don’t need 24/7 coverage. Pick the busiest 8 to 10 hour block of each day, across as much of the week as you can afford, even if it initially means using overtime or temporary assignments.
In these first weeks, your DFR program should measure success by one primary metric: speed. How fast did we get there? How often do we beat ground units? This focus is critical, as it builds the “muscle memory” and skill required for effective response.
Once your pilots develop this rapid-response capability, they will inevitably start achieving the unexpected wins that DFR promises, even on the most “routine” calls. This rapid, early response doesn’t just help resolve the immediate incident; it ripples across the entire department, leading to fewer investigations, reduced liability and safer outcomes. These early DFR pilots become your experts, your trainers and your program’s biggest advocates.
Final thoughts
Among my first principles of DFR is this: “DFR isn’t about a cop getting a drone to the scene, it’s about a drone getting a cop to the scene.”
Too often, leaders considering DFR ask the wrong question: “How often do I need a drone at a call?” The real question should be, “How often do I need a cop somewhere?” Because that’s what DFR provides, a decision maker on scene gaining knowledge of what cops are going into without the immediate risk.
“DFR isn’t about a cop getting a drone to the scene, it’s about a drone getting a cop to the scene.”
A DFR pilot delivers a response that’s faster, safer and more informed. The drone gets there first, traveling as the crow flies, not blowing red lights or racing through traffic. Instead of an officer arriving under stress and uncertainty with a 2D ground-level view, DFR gives the agency an experienced incident manager virtually on scene first, with a bird’s eye big picture view, unhindered by personal danger.
DFR isn’t about drones, and it’s not just for major incidents. It’s a smarter, faster way to handle the calls for service you face every day. It gives your officers, dispatchers and community the advantage of time. And in public safety, speed makes all the difference. That’s the defining characteristic of DFR.
Question of the Day: If you launched a drone as first responder program tomorrow, which position in your agency — if any — would you reassign to put a pilot in the DFR chair?
