OC Sheriff Drones Will Start Responding To 911 Calls In Lake Forest, Per New Program

LAKE FOREST, CA — Lake Forest residents may notice a difference in 911 emergency responders, after the Orange County Sheriff's Department launched the first phase of its Drone as a First Responder program.

The program is designed to increase 911 response times by implementing drones — or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles — to capture critical information in real-time, according to the department.

According to the department, drones can arrive before officers and help responding deputies make informed decisions before they arrive to the scene.

The drones are unarmed and will be operated by Federal Aviation Administration-certified Department personnel, deputies said.

While an exact date for the program's launch was not provided, the department noted that the program would start this October and bring a "new public safety resource to the contract cities of Laguna Hills, Lake Forest and Stanton."

The program will not replace any first responder services, the department said.

"DFR is intended to supplement, not replace, existing first responder services," the department said in a statement. "Deputies, dispatchers, and other emergency personnel remain central to every response."

Residents interested in looking up public information regarding the program — including flight reporting information — can access that by visiting the sheriff's department's website.