Milledgeville police introduce drone as a first responder. Here's how it works
The Milledgeville Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in Middle Georgia to use a drone as a first responder to assess emergencies before police arrive.
The police department announced that a collaboration with BRINC, a drone supplier, and phone network company Motorola developed the Drone First Responder program. MPD was provided a system that sends “the drone to the location before the officers even get there, and it sets there and hovers and looks around,” they said in a press conference.
“We’re the first in central Georgia to have this,” police Chief Dray Swicord said. “There’s only like four places that have the first responder drone. They’re all in metro Atlanta, so we’re excited about showing this.”
How it works
The drone provides law enforcement with a live video feed of when an emergency occurs. It hovers roughly 240 feet above the ground. When the drone is given an address, it will fly to that location using Global Positioning Systems like Google Maps. During nighttime, law enforcement can use the drone’s thermal imaging feature to analyze the scene.
“This immediate aerial perspective enhances situational awareness and helps officers make informed decisions while responding to calls for service,” the MPD said on Facebook.
However, the drone can’t be used during severe weather. The MPD said during the press conference on Tuesday that they’re still learning about the drone and have noticed that it won’t fly toward geo-fences.
The first responder drone will join the nine other drones that the MPD already has in service. It was worth $150,000. It was paid with money received through residents’ citations and fines when driving past school speed zone cameras, they said in the conference.
“By providing critical information in real time, the DFR program enhances officer safety, improves response times, and strengthens our ability to serve the citizens of Milledgeville,” the police department said on Facebook.
This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 3:22 PM.
