Californian city Campbell has expanded its Drone as First Responder (DFR) programme, incorporating radar sensors as well as optical. Campbell Police Department has become the first in California to incorporate radar into its drones, allowing it to operate effectively at night and to conduct single-person operations.

CPD is a suburban police department outside San Jose, California, serving a population of 40,000, which increases to 100,000 during the workday. Since 2022 it has operated a DFR programme with a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver, using a human visual observer.

The expanded programme was achieved in partnership with Axon Air Remote, powered by DroneSense, Dedrone by Axon and MatrixSpace. This collaboration provides remote drone operators with a single information window for airspace detection and drone operations instead of multiple windows.

Axon Air Remote, powered by DroneSense, is a customisable DFR solution that allows agencies to deploy drones quickly from remote locations in response to emergency calls while accessing video feeds from to enhance situational awareness.

MatrixSpace Radar, a US developed and manufactured radar system, provides situational awareness of both airborne and ground-based objects, including in difficult lighting and weather conditions. This allows accurate drone detection and Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) capabilities, enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight operations for first responders.

“This DFR BVLOS waiver, without a visual observer, is the first of its kind and is a great step forward by expanding the FAA’s acceptance of more technology to enable public safety agencies to implement DFR programmes and eliminating the human VO requirement. This also demonstrates the FAA’s willingness to support public safety by continually expanding technology to further enhance DFR programmes,” said Chief Charles L. Werner (Ret.) and director of DRONERESPONDERS.

“MatrixSpace has helped revolutionise how we approach situational awareness by providing next-level fused radar capabilities. With this FAA waiver, our department can now deploy drones more efficiently, ensuring that we continue leading the way in utilising technology to protect our community,” said Campbell Police Chief Gary Berg.

“Combining the collective solutions of these partners has enabled us to build a more effective DFR operation for Campbell PD and one we can continue to improve upon as technologies progress. We look forward to sharing best practices and continuing to support local communities with cost-effective, state-of-the-art sensors,” said Lori DeMatteis, Chief Revenue Officer, MatrixSpace.