The Fulshear Police Department now has another way to respond to emergency calls.
The big picture
The city's new drone first responder program will provide a new avenue for things such as missing person searches, community event monitoring and active incidents instead of using the traditional police helicopter, department officials announced in a May 7 Facebook post.
The program, which went live April 6, is funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority with a 20% match from the city, Lt. Bill Henry said in an email.
About the program
Through the program, officers are able to send drones to select calls for service providing real-time aerial information before officers arrive on scene, officials said in the post.
The program will assist with:
- Faster emergency response capabilities
- Enhanced officer and community safety
- Real-time artificial intelligence for responding officers
- Improved search and rescue operations
- Better situational awareness during critical incidents
- Traffic crash investigations
- More efficient deployment with of department resources
Additionally, the program can help with vacation house checks when requested.
Why it matters
The technology comes as the city continues to experience fast-paced growth including a 251.99% population growth from 9,906 in 2019 to 34,868 residents in 2024, according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
