Drones give Sterling Heights police and fire real-time scene views

Sterling Heights, Michigan, is rolling out a Drone as a First Responder program designed to send drones to incidents before police cruisers or fire engines arrive. The city showcased the initiative Wednesday at Fire Station No. 4. Drones will be stationed at three locations around the city, with trained police personnel able to deploy them remotely during emergencies and other calls. Police Chief Andrew Satterfield said the department has already flown about 150 missions since implementation, including training flights, without an incident. He added that drones helped locate two suspects who fled on foot, and that during the most recent homicide investigation the drone arrived in about one minute to provide a real-time view. The Skydio X10 drones can launch from secure docks in as little as 20 seconds. Although run by police, officials said the system could also support firefighting by quickly assessing whether resources like ladder trucks or fire engines are needed and by providing aerial or thermal views during structure fires.