Flock Safety applauds the recent introduction of the Directing Resources for Officers Navigating Emergencies (DRONE) Act of 2025. The bipartisan bill, which has also been endorsed by the Major County Sheriffs of America and the Fraternal Order of Police, would allow first responders to use federal grants to buy and operate drones, enhancing response times and public safety.

“Many of us here at Flock Safety are first responders too, and are thrilled that representatives from both sides of the aisle agree that emergency personnel should have the best tools at their disposal to keep us all safe,” said Rahul Sidhu, VP of Aviation at Flock Safety. “I want to thank Representatives Correa and Nehls for their leadership in augmenting a tool that is already an invaluable asset at agencies across the country." 

“Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs decrease response times and increase first responders’ situational awareness, allowing agencies to more efficiently and safely respond to incidents.”

In May 2024, Sidhu testified before the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss how first responders are utilizing drones to improve situational awareness and emergency response. During the hearing, Representative Correa highlighted the increasing adoption of DFR programs for law enforcement. 

Currently, drones are not an eligible expense under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants. The DRONE Act amends these programs to allow this money to go toward public safety drone systems, expanding access to critical technology for first responders nationwide.

If passed, public safety agencies could employ federal funds to invest in the Flock Aerodome system, including fully automated battery-swapping docking stations paired with best-in-class Detect and Avoid (DAA) radar-based software to safely operate drones beyond visual range and without the need for a human observer. 

This system ensures that law enforcement agencies can immediately respond to incidents using fewer resources and reducing operating costs, all while maintaining airspace awareness and increasing safety.

“As DFR programs grow in popularity nationwide, this legislation will especially help smaller organizations, who typically rely on air assets from neighboring jurisdictions, access the funds they need to maintain their own DFR program,” said Flock Safety Founder and CEO Garrett Langley.  

In January, the Elk Grove Police Department in California was granted the first-ever FAA Waiver to deploy the Flock Aerodome DFR program without a human observer up to 400 feet in altitude across their entire jurisdiction. Flock Aerodome is available to agencies across the country now.