FAA approval allows day and night BVLOS drone operations without a visual observer
The Campbell Police Department in California has taken a major step forward in enhancing public safety through its Drone as First Responder (DFR) program. The department recently received a groundbreaking waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations at any time of day or night. This approval enables the department to conduct drone missions without requiring a visual observer, a significant milestone for DFR operations.
Expanded Capabilities for 24/7 Response
Since launching its DFR program in 2022, the Campbell Police Department has used human visual observers during drone operations. The department relied on a daytime waiver for BVLOS flights, gaining critical real-time aerial data to improve resource allocation and safety. However, operating drones at night posed a challenge due to visibility limitations. With the FAA’s new approval under part 91.113(b), the department can now perform BVLOS operations around the clock using DedroneBeyond technology.
Chief Gary Berg of the Campbell Police Department highlighted the importance of this advancement: “This FAA approval is a major milestone for our department and our community. With the ability to conduct drone operations day or night without the need for visual observers, we can respond faster and more effectively to emergencies, improving both officer and public safety. This technology is a game changer in ensuring we have the tools to support our community when it matters most.”
The new waiver eliminates the need for visual observers by incorporating DedroneBeyond’s ground-based detect and avoid system. This AI-powered system allows drones to fly autonomously while avoiding crewed aircraft, even in challenging weather conditions or low-light scenarios. Acting as a virtual visual observer, the system ensures safe flight paths for drones, enabling swift deployment to emergency scenes.
Partnership and Technological Integration
The Campbell Police Department’s DFR program benefits from the collaboration of several key industry partners, including Dedrone by Axon, DroneSense, and MatrixSpace. The integrated solution leverages multiple technologies to provide a unified view of airspace, ensuring situational awareness and mission control. These systems allow the department to operate drones at altitudes of up to 400 feet, day or night, without human observers.
MatrixSpace Radar plays a pivotal role in the program by providing fused radar capabilities for enhanced situational awareness. This radar detects both airborne and ground-based objects, improving drone flight safety during BVLOS operations.
Chief Charles L. Werner (Ret.), director of DRONERESPONDERS, commented on the significance of this waiver: “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 programs 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 programs. Congratulations to Campbell Police Department for their innovation and leadership.”
Enhancing Public Safety Through Technology
This new waiver not only expands the Campbell Police Department’s operational capacity but also represents a broader trend in law enforcement toward adopting advanced technologies for public safety. DFR programs offer real-time situational awareness that improves response times and enhances officer and community safety. By removing the requirement for human visual observers, departments like Campbell PD can deploy drones more efficiently, offering faster responses to emergency situations.
With these advancements, the Campbell Police Department is setting a precedent for other law enforcement agencies interested in maximizing the potential of their DFR programs. The ability to perform drone operations during both day and night without the need for a human visual observer marks a significant step forward in public safety and drone technology integration.
Read more:
- Flock Safety Expands Capabilities with Acquisition of Aerodome
- Drone as First Responder: Pearland TX Gets BVLOS Waiver to Operate Without Visual Observers
- Drone as First Responder, with Airspace Awareness: Flying Lion and Iris Automation Partner
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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This article highlights a significant step forward in utilizing drone technology for public safety, particularly with the Campbell Police Department’s successful waiver for 24/7 drone operations as part of their First Responder Program. The ability to deploy drones at any time of day or night enhances the department’s capability to respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies, from accidents to natural disasters. Drones provide valuable real-time aerial views that can improve situational awareness and decision-making. This initiative represents a positive move toward modernizing public safety practices, and it will be interesting to see how this program evolves and benefits the community. Thank you for shedding light on this innovative approach to law enforcement and emergency response!
Privacy, Unwarranted searches, and neighborhood nuisances and public safety.
I support Police and Drones usage. I also am for the CONSTITUTION and individual rights that TRUMP unwarranted data collection.
These drones better not be traversing my private airspace.
These drones, have IR and Thermal and high powered cameras.
Which can conveniently turned on, recording and collecting data that nothing to do with mission of the EMERGENCY at hand.
I worry that the data collection and storage combined with AI and other databases will be used to create PROFILES of individual citizens without probable cause. This is even worse than having to HOUSE an OFFICER! AN officer can be interrogated and cross examined.
All one has to search POLICE on YT to find 10’S of thousands of instances of POLICE overstepping lawful citizens rights!
Our liberties are not obstacles to crime solving, they are RIGHTS not to be transgressed, which all officers have sworn to protect. Yet, hundreds of officers overstep liberties, either willfully or by accident daily.
New technology EVER TRUMPS LIBERTY.
I can support lawful use of the public trust at the same time denounce unlawful or overstepping or aggressive use of limited powers to try an meet a great good.
America should be free from the notion that if you don’t want someone to know about it then you must be doing something illegal. That is 180 degrees out of phase and should be always up held that is law enforcement can reasonably support its CLAIM, then a warrant may be issued for that particular issue. IT is not a DRAGNET fishing expedition.
DRONES flying over my property can take and store visual and audible data that could one day be used against me without the use of a warrant to collect that specific data. How easy would it be for law enforcement to use the drone to capture data, that is looking for from another case while using the warrant from another and the use that inadmissible evidence as a baseline for further investigation into a warrantless situation.
IF I have privacy fence, just because you now can fly over my fence doesn’t mean that I have given permission or up my rights to privacy. A warrant was needed prior and should be needed now. But how easy would it be for a drone unit to set up across the street with the full intent of avoiding a warrant under the guise another training or emergency call!
I think you get the point. I am all for supporting law enforcement but not ever at the expense of liberties because we now have the tech.
Its not all about what’s legal any more. LAW enforcement is about law. But capturing data can lead to moral or ethical cancellations or coercion.
Same king of argument about red light photos showing affairs or kids having others in the car or doing embarrassing or immoral or unethical but in no manner illegal activities for which the law has ZERO jurisdiction.
DRONES with IR and thermal can peer through my CASTLE and collect all sorts of data that is 100% private and a asking of my liberties.
Ask any officer if they would accept a drone peeping into their home when ever and with whatever tech and lets see what they say. Sure there are the few that would say if you ain’t doing anything wrong you got nothing to worry about. That is not the point the point is we have the expectations of privacy and innocents until proven guilty. Taking my private embarring moments and plastering them publicly is a violation of my liberties and damaging to my person.
No one wants personal quirks published or used against them in a court of law or social media. No one also wants to let rapist and murders go.
No one also wants their home raided and pet squirrel taken and executed.
Our liberties are not inconvenient they are rights and are to be treated that way. We are afforded innocent… we are not supposed to be guilty until we can gather enough….
Quickening of policing for better’ & effective services to people has given birth to ” flying squad”! &
” Rapid action force” in policing.
Now it is ” DFR” that born.
Very soon it will be accepted across the planet in policing.Thank you Drone.
Congratulations & best wishes to Campbell police department.
Regards.
Thanks.
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