title: "Why you may find a drone responding after calling 911 in Phoenix" url: "https://www.azfamily.com/2026/11/10/why-you-may-find-drone-responding-after-calling-911-phoenix/" author: "Mitchell Koch"
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — People who call 911 in Phoenix may now find drones as the “first responders” to their emergencies.
The Phoenix police and fire departments announced the launch of their joint Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program to support emergency response.
The departments say the program will allow drones to fly to emergency scenes before personnel arrive and give first responders real-time aerial views of the situation.
When a call inside the service area qualifies for DFR, pilots can send drones within moments to stream live video to responding crews and give them information on “incident conditions, access points, traffic impacts, and potential hazards.”
A release from the fire department said the new program will allow for first responders to determine the safest and most efficient way to respond to a scene.
The program’s goals are to decrease unnecessary resource response, improve first responder safety and increase overall police and fire readiness for emergencies.
Similar programs are already active in other Valley cities, including Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale , and peoria