STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) – The City of Sterling Heights is getting ready to launch drones as an emergency response.
It’s called the ‘Drone as a First Responder program.”
According to city officials, fixed drone docking stations will be installed in three locations, in the north, central and south areas of the city.
When dispatch calls the police department, a trained officer will send a drone to the scene by entering an address into a control system.
“We’re still trying to put together the pieces of how exactly we’re going to implement the Drone First Responder Program, but essentially yes, there has to be a pilot that will be sitting in a station,” said Police Captain Mario Bastianelli to WWJ's Taylor Dietz.
The drone will automatically launch and transmit live video to responding units. The department hopes it’ll improve awareness and response coordination.
The drone can be used in a bevy of situations, including fires, traffic crashes, shootings and more.
“We don’t really know what’s going on in some incidents,” said Bastianelli. “It gives us a lot of information very quickly to implement other resources. That’s an advantage.”
When talking specifically about a barricaded person situation, Bastianelli said the drone will be able to see if the person is outside, if anyone else is on site or injured.
Sterling Heights is among the first communities in the region to implement this program.
In a press release, Mayor Michael Taylor said the program reflects the City’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and fiscal responsibility. “By responsibly using modern technology, we can improve response times, strengthen coordination across departments, and better protect our residents and first responders.”
Some people, however, are skeptical of surveillance technology.
Back in November, the City of Ferndale decided to end their partnership with Flock Safety, which is a series of cameras that captures license plate numbers. Many called it an invasion of privacy, saying the surveillance cameras were an overreach
In Sterling Heights, the launch of the drone system will include a publicly accessible, 24-hour transparency portal where residents can view drone flight activity.
Captain Bastianelli said the drones will not be used for nefarious purposes.
“We have rules that are in place. We have officers that are highly trained to utilize these drones. There’s a system in place to protect the public from anything bad from happening. It’s just another tool for us to do our jobs.”
The cost of the program in the first year is $149,264, with a five-year total of $678,822. An additional $13,500 will be used for electrical and data infrastructure installation at City facilities to support the drone docking stations. The drones are federally funded.
The program is scheduled to become operational Spring 2026.