Yonkers Police Department drone pilot program launches in hopes of saving lives

YONKERS (WABC) — The newest first responders are not humans, but drones.

The Yonkers Police Department is launching what it calls a “regionally unique” pilot program to use drones in emergency situations.

Since they are not hindered by traffic, the drones could save crucial seconds and minutes in life-saving care. The launch will take place from St. Joseph’s Hospital opposite the police headquarters.

The drone’s video feed is viewed at the police station by a trained first responder teleoperator.

The teleoperator can control the drone remotely and immediately communicate with the emergency personnel via radio. The high-resolution camera has infrared and thermal imaging functions. It can be used not only to search for suspects, but also for missing people.

The drone can even deliver flotation devices to people in distress in the Hudson River.

Officials and supervisors on site can even view a real-time video feed from the drone directly on their smartphone or laptop.

This way, they know what to respond to before they even arrive at the scene of the accident. One example the department has used is a car accident with multiple injuries.

“We can now see from the drone that there are more calls than we originally thought when one caller said. Now we can dispatch that third or fourth ambulance quicker, get to the scene quicker and potentially save someone’s life,” said Sergeant Frank Didomizio of the Yonkers Police Department.

The drone can cover about 60% of the city.

The Yonkers Police Department states: “The goal of the project and the mission of this program is to be able to assess the resources needed, prepare the appropriate operational measures and increase the safety of emergency responders and the public.”

The department’s drone operations can be viewed in the flight log.

The drone flights are visible to the public, including the date, time, flight route and reason for flight.

The pilot program began Monday and will run for the next two months. It cost the city $100,000. After the 60-day period, the department will determine how effective the program is and what the cost would be to expand the program and cover a larger portion of the city with additional drones.

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