OWASSO, Ok — When someone calls 911 in Owasso, help is on the way — and now, drones are getting there first.
The Owasso Police and Fire departments utilize a drone first responder program that puts eyes in the sky over emergency scenes within minutes. Pilots stationed at police headquarters monitor every incoming call and dispatch drones to nearly every incident.
"Pilots sit in the police station and listen to every call that comes into the police station whether it be non-emergency or emergency and drones are dispatched to almost every call that we go on," Captain Nick Boatman said.
Officer Kevin Burke is one of the pilots flying the drones from police headquarters.
"Once we start hearing details of a crime or emergency situation, then we will come to this monitor and pick which one we want... before the dispatch has even given the call out to officers, we are already in the air," Burke said.
Once a drone launches from the police station, its video feed transmits in real time to officers in the field on their phones.
For officers responding to violent crimes, that live footage provides critical intelligence before they arrive on scene.
"The benefits are safety and security... they are able to now see the scenes prior to them getting there. While they're in route, they can see exactly what's going on, where they can enter the scene safely," Boatman said.
Recent drone footage captured a chase involving an auto burglary suspect, demonstrating how the technology supports active law enforcement operations.
The program also benefits firefighters. Thermal cameras on the drones allow fire crews to see through smoke and better manage resources on the ground.
"For fire, it's mainly about resource management... instead of smoke filled areas, they can see through the thermal cameras exactly where their firefighters are," Boatman said.
The drones can reach anywhere within Owasso in under 3 minutes, with most calls covered even faster.
"In prime conditions, our drones fly about 30 to 35 miles per hour. We have a 3 mile radius," Burke said.
Boatman said the program represents a new era of public safety — one where technology helps first responders arrive more prepared, more informed, and more effective at protecting the community.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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