On October 14, 2025, Versaterm announced a significant advancement in public safety operations: the integration of DroneSense into its Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) platform. This move represents one of the first major instances in which drone flights can be dispatched directly from a CAD environment, alongside traditional patrol, fire, or EMS units.
A New Paradigm: Drones as Dispatchable Units
Historically, drone deployments in emergency response have existed outside of core dispatch systems. Agencies have relied on separate platforms, manual coordination, or specialized UAS teams. That disconnect can slow response times, introduce human error, and dilute situational awareness across responding units.
With the DroneSense acquisition, Versaterm is bringing those operations together in one system. Under the new integration:
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Drones become dispatchable assets, selectable from within the CAD environment just like any other vehicle type.
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Drone positions appear on the same map layers used by patrol vehicles, fire engines, and EMS units.
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Live video feeds stream directly into the CAD dispatcher and mobile data terminals without requiring application switching.
According to Rohan Galloway Dawkins, Versaterm’s Chief Product Officer, the goal was simple: “Why should dispatching a drone be harder than dispatching a patrol vehicle?” The new solution aims to make it just as straightforward.
From the perspective of incident commanders, the result is a unified single view from the moment a 9-1-1 call arrives until the incident is logged as closed.
This integration comes as agencies increasingly expect to expand drone budgets and deployment models. In Versaterm’s 2025 Public Safety Trends Survey, sixty-one percent of police leaders indicated they anticipate increased drone spending, with top use cases such as search and rescue, large event security, and Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs.
Why This Matters: The Growth of Drone Use in Public Safety
A Shift from Experimental to Everyday Use
Drones are no longer considered fringe tools for public safety; they are becoming essential assets. A recent public safety communications survey found that while only about fifteen percent of first responders use drones daily today, nearly half expect to do so within five years. That projection reflects growing confidence in drones as reliable, mission-critical tools.
Articles in DRONELIFE have documented how police and fire departments increasingly integrate live drone video to provide real time context and adjust their responses as incidents unfold. In many cases, drones can arrive at a scene in under a minute, giving officers and commanders situational awareness before first responders reach the location. That early insight improves decision making, helps protect officers and the public, and can reduce overcommitment of resources.
The Regulatory Frontier: BVLOS and Tactical Extensions
One of the biggest barriers to broader drone use has been the regulatory constraint that drones must typically fly within visual line of sight. Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations would allow drones to fly farther, serve wider-area missions, and respond autonomously to incidents beyond the operator’s view.
In August 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish routine BVLOS operations in the United States. This proposed rule is seen as a turning point for drone applications, including public safety. The draft framework includes detect and avoid requirements, operator certification, operational ceilings, and methods for integration into the national airspace.
Many agencies are already operating under waivers for flight beyond visual line of sight, enabling automated drone as first responder programs such as drone dock systems as well as dispatch from a central location to an incident beyond the operators line of sight.
When the new regulatory framework is finalized, dispatch integrated drone systems like Versaterm’s will have even greater value. Agencies will be able to launch drones autonomously before ground units arrive, expand coverage zones, and support complex multi agency operations with shared situational awareness.
Where This Leaves the Industry
Versaterm’s native CAD integration marks a major step toward making drones a routine part of public safety operations. When dispatchers can launch aerial units with the same speed and ease as ground vehicles, drones become integral to incident response rather than supplemental tools.
For drones to reach their full potential, regulatory modernization, training programs, and community engagement will all need to progress in parallel. With these foundations in place, systems like Versaterm’s could help usher in a new era of real time intelligence, faster response, and safer outcomes for both first responders and the communities they serve.
Read more:
- From Police to Private Sector: Flock Safety Launches Drone-as-Security Platform
- One Operator, Multiple Drones: Is This a Game Changer for Public Safety?
- Prosper P.D. Takes Public Safety to the Next Level with Drone-First Responder 2.0
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.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
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