EVERETT — A drone could soon be the first responder on scene when 911 is called in south Snohomish County.

Beginning this week, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office will test the abilities of semi-autonomous drones, deployed remotely to public safety emergencies in the department’s busiest response areas.

The Drone as First Responder (DFR) pilot program will allow the sheriff’s office to evaluate technology that can put eyes on a situation, providing real-time knowledge before deputies make it to a scene.

“This pilot is about getting our first responders better information, faster,” Sheriff Susanna Johnson said in a press release. “This is an opportunity to test an innovative tool while making sure we build the program the right way.”

The sheriff’s office has partnered with Skydio, a California-based manufacturer, for a free test period, strategically placing four drones in the southern part of the county, where the department receives its most call for service.

Sgt. Brad Dawes supervises the drone unit for the Sheriff’s office, which has trained deputies to pilot manned drones since 2019. He said the DFR has the potential to be the next step for how drones are used in policing.

“I’ve tried to be forward thinking and trying to utilize technology to support our patrol operations, make better informed decisions, utilize more accurate information to essentially drive a better outcome for not just us as deputies, but the suspects that are involved, everyone,” Dawes told The Daily Herald.

Among the many potential uses are crimes in progress, fleeing suspects, searches for a missing person, traffic crashes, rescue operations or calls that may not be a priority when deputies are tied up elsewhere.

The Everett Police Department began using the DFR program in October of last year.

Dispatchers at Snohomish County 911 will be able to launch a drone to an address with the click of a button, sending the drone out in seconds and getting an idea of what’s going on in minutes.

“That’s a huge difference in pace of deployment than what we’re currently doing with our manual drone operations,” Dawes said.

The drones can fly themselves, but Dawes said certified pilots will be on duty, providing oversight and taking over the controls as needed while the DFR is in its exploratory phase.

Setup and testing is beginning early this week. Dawes said the drones could be responding to calls for service as soon as Tuesday. The pilot program is expected to continue through mid-October, giving the sheriff’s office enough time to see its impact.

“We want to collect evidence and see what this type of program could bring as a benefit,” Dawes said.

Success won’t be determined by metrics like a certain number of arrests or calls responded to, Dawes said. Instead, the sheriff’s office said it will be looking for specific examples of the drones providing a benefit.

“The fact that we could remotely fly this, launch it within 30 seconds and get on scene in two minutes and solve this problem very quickly before a patrol deputy was even able to respond,” Dawes said. “I mean, I would classify that as a significant success.”

As testing gets underway, the sheriff’s office is paying close attention to community privacy concerns.

The drone’s camera faces the horizon until it arrives on scene and flights will only occur in response to a 911 call or public safety mission. Video also starts recording as soon as the drones take off, so a person doesn’t decide what is captured, Dawes said.

“We’re consistently trying to do the right thing with respect to the Fourth Amendment and the community’s privacy concerns because we understand this is a new technology, it’s an emerging technology,” Dawes said.

The sheriff’s office also offers a Drone Unit Transparency Portal for the public to review flight data, including when, where and why the drones are flying.

“Drones in law enforcement in general is still just really in its infancy,” Dawes said. “We’re trying to be very respectful and cognizant of that and share and be as transparent as possible with the public about what we’re using these tools for.”

The new technology isn’t expected to replace the 20 or so trained drone pilots already on staff with the sheriff’s office.

It’s a promising supplement, but Dawes said pilots will still be needed when a mission outlasts the battery life, coverage area or abilities of the DFR technology.

“Technology does not replace the men and women responding to emergencies every day,” Sheriff Johnson said. “It gives them another tool, and another perspective, to help them do their jobs more safely and effectively.”

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com