Bloomington is exploring how drone technology could strengthen emergency response following a successful two-week Drone as First Responder pilot program conducted in late May.
The program tested how remotely operated drones can respond to certain emergency calls ahead of police or fire personnel, providing information that helps first responders assess situations and make informed decisions before arriving on scene.
During the pilot, drones responded to 396 calls, including welfare checks, structure fires, assaults in progress, stolen vehicle reports, K9 tracks and high-risk traffic stops. The drones arrived before first responders 47% of the time and helped locate 52 individuals and 35 vehicles. No crashes, malfunctions or property damage occurred during the trial.
Analysis shows a fully implemented program could potentially respond to 89% of urgent calls, such as crimes in progress or life-threatening situations, within two minutes. Bloomington is also evaluating how drones could support traffic engineering, infrastructure inspections and public works projects.
Any future program would comply with federal and state, privacy and transparency regulations and there would be community engagement regarding key priorities. No decisions about permanent implementation have been made.
