'Drone' Program Up And Running In Arlington County

ARLINGTON, VA — After a long period of policy and training, Arlington County's Unmanned Aircraft Systems program is up and running.

Trained members of the Arlington County Fire Department, Police Department, Sheriff's Office and Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management will be using UAS.

In combination with the police department's body-worn camera program, the "drones" will provide an additional level of digital recordings to enhance the county's response in support of public safety.

Arlington County first sought public input on the development of its UAS policy last November, by soliciting comments and feedback online. According to the program's website, the county may use UAS for:

• Search and rescue
• Pre- and post-disaster damage assessments
• Crash and crime scene reconstruction
• Fire/emergency incident management
• Special event situation awareness
• Hazardous materials response
• Technical rescues

The county says UAS will not be used to:

• Conduct random surveillance activities
• Target a person based solely on individual characteristics, such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender, religion, or disability
• Harass, intimidate, or discriminate against any individual or group
• Conduct personal business or any other unauthorized use
• Support any facial or license plate recognition technology
• Carry or deploy any types of weapons
• Monitor traffic for the purpose of issuing traffic citations
• Intercept and collect WiFi data

Based on the community's feedback, the Police Department, Sheriff’s Office and Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management have finalized their UAS policies. A final policy for the Fire Department is pending finalization and will be posted on the UAS program website.