SNOHOMISH COUNTY — The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is launching a Drone as First Responder pilot with Snohomish County 911 and drone maker Skydio, aiming to get live video to deputies before they reach some emergency scenes.
“This pilot is about getting our first responders better information, faster,” Sheriff Susanna Johnson said. “When deputies are responding to a crime in progress, a dangerous suspect, a missing person or another rapidly evolving emergency, knowing what is happening before they arrive can make a significant difference. It can improve officer safety, de-escalation, help us use our resources more effectively and ultimately improve the service we provide to our community.”
Under the program, certified pilots would launch drones from fixed locations within seconds of a 911 call or other public-safety request, rather than waiting for a drone team to arrive and take off at the scene. Deputies have flown drones in support of patrol work since 2019, the Sheriff’s Office said. The pilot is meant to test whether remote, docked aircraft can arrive faster and give ground units a clearer picture of what they are walking into.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, possible uses include crimes in progress, searches for fleeing or wanted suspects, foot pursuits, missing-person cases, traffic collisions, rescues and other fast-changing incidents. A drone that arrives first could identify hazards, help locate people, support crisis negotiations, help set a perimeter and give commanders more information about how many units to send.
The office said the aircraft would not be used for general surveillance or random scouting flights as each mission would be tied to a 911 call or other public-safety operation. Officials said drones would fly with the camera pointed toward the horizon until they reach the call location.
The sheriff’s office said it has an FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations and will follow federal rules and local unmanned-aircraft policies. Flight records for the office’s existing drone program are posted on a public transparency portal that lists date and time, flight path, approximate call location and call type.
The technology is intended to supplement, not replace, deputies, firefighters and dispatchers, Sheriff Johnson said. After the pilot, participating agencies plan to review results before deciding whether to expand the program.
“This is an opportunity to test an innovative tool while making sure we build the program the right way,” Johnson said. “Technology does not replace the men and women responding to emergencies every day. It gives them another tool, and another perspective, to help them do their jobs more safely and effectively.”
The countywide test follows other Drone as First Responder efforts already implemented at city police agencies in the region. In April 2025, the Lynnwood Times reported that Everett became the first city in Snohomish County — and the second in Washington after Redmond — to approve a DFR pilot, with the City Council voting 5-1 to partner with Flock Safety. EPD officials there said drones could cut some response times by as much as 63%, to under 90 seconds.
Everett PD also planned to send the aircraft ahead of ground units for search-and-rescue, suspect searches and de-escalation, and that the drones would integrate with SNO911.
Lynnwood is following Everett’s lead. In July, the Lynnwood Police Department received a $2.5 million state public-safety grant that includes about $399,000 for a Drone as First Responder program, plus additional money for other drones. Lynnwood PD said the technology is also intended to shorten response times, improve officer safety, aid de-escalation and provide medical support such as Narcan.
SNO911 previously tested DFR technology with Skydio and other vendors during a one-week Real-Time Information Center trial in August 2025. Partner agencies reported 194 drone dispatches to calls for service, 230 flights and 76 incidents in which a drone arrived before ground units.
Author: Mario Lotmore
