Omaha police lean into new technology to assist 911 calls
By Madison Perales
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OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — The Omaha Police Department is leaning into modern technology with a little over $2 million in grant money.
OPD announced its ‘Drones as First Responders’ program Thursday, with the Omaha police chief saying no taxpayer dollars went into making this happen.
The police agency has two new drone docks on their rooftop which have already been in use since Monday.
It’s designed to respond to 9-1-1 calls and arrive in just two minutes.
“We are constantly looking for new ways to improve,” Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said.
He said this new initiative is meant to enhance safety for both the public and for OPD law enforcement.
“If you need help, you could see a drone in two minutes, coordinating, speaking with the officers responding to help,” Schmaderer said.
That includes better resource allocation, and situational awareness for officers on the ground.
“It’s critically important that we always keep safety in mind,” Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. said. “And that we always keep response times in mind and make sure that we are there when people need us in their most critical moments of their lives.”
Schmaderer said it’s the first drone first responder program of its kind in Nebraska.
“The first beyond visual line of sight waiver in the state of Nebraska,” Schmaderer said. “Which is critical for allowing drones to fly and launch autonomously without a pilot physically present on the scene.”
Omaha Police Chief Pilot Frank Peck said the drones can even fly through buildings, if necessary, but it has safety features.
“The Omaha Police Department drones have a parachute on it,” Peck said. “That’s to mitigate any issues that maybe we have should something happen.”
OPD is partnered with Axon, which also provides body-worn cameras, and in-car video recorders to connect seamlessly with the drones.
Officials said in severe weather like blizzards or fog, the drones will not operate. But the docks are weather resistant to combat Omaha’s intense climate.
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