ARLINGTON, Texas — To free up resources for more serious emergencies this Independence Day, Arlington police officers and firefighters used drones to scope out reports of illegal fireworks shows.
Drone operators from each department set up Thursday at six locations around the city. Each station is near a site authorities have identified as a "hotspot" for illegal fireworks activity using data from previous holidays.
The technology allows police officers and firefighters to quickly determine whether a complaint is legitimate, identify the culprits, and even break up an illegal show.
"We're able to get there much quicker, much safer, and we're able to check a larger area," Arlington Police sergeant Rob Robertson said. "We're choosing to put technology to work."
It is illegal to shoot fireworks inside Arlington city limits and in most DFW municipalities. Still, thousands of people will set off Black Cats and Boomers on Independence Day.
Arlington officials said, in addition to typical 911 calls, they responded to 1,600 reports of illegal fireworks on New Year's Eve.
In previous years, first responders checked out each call in-person. Often, the illegal shows were over by the time law enforcement or firefighters arrived.
"It's obviously taxing on our firefighters, but also taxing on our fleet," Arlington Fire Department spokesperson Adam Evans said. "There's wear-and-tear that it puts on our heavy fleet, fuel volume, everything."
Most important, Evans said fireworks calls divert manpower from serious emergencies that require immediate attention.
"We want to be in a place where, if there's an actual emergency, we can respond and we're not stuck on a fireworks call," Evans said.
This July 4, the 18-member team of Arlington firefighters and police officers will fly drones toward reported fireworks shows. Cameras mounted to the aircraft feed back live video of the area, allowing authorities to quickly determine whether illegal activity is ongoing.
The drones are equipped with a spotlight and loudspeaker authorities can use to break up an unauthorized show.
"That usually alleviates the problem," Evans laughed.
If the culprits continue to shoot fireworks, Arlington police will respond in-person and may issue citations.
Police and the fire department piloted this program for more than a year before rolling out the full-scale application Thursday.
Each department is expanding its drone operations. The fire department can use the technology to guide responders around hazards.
Robertson called the drones the "ultimate de-escalation tool" because police can locate a potential threat and communicate to them without jeopardizing an officer's life.
He added that the department will not use the technology to patrol the city. The tool is used only to monitor potential criminal activity that's already been identified or reported, similar to a police helicopter.
"It is a force multiplier for our department," Robertson said. "Unmanned aircraft integration has completely redefined how we do policing."