CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE DRONE AT BARD COLLEGE
PUBLIC SAFETY DRONES: AN UPDATE
DAN GETTINGER
In this update to the Center for the Study of the Drone’s
database of public safety agencies with drones, we
estimate that at least 910 state and local police, sheriff,
fire, and emergency services agencies in the U.S. have
acquired drones. In this revised count, we uncovered
more agencies that had acquired drones prior to 2017
than previously reported, and we estimate that the
number of public safety agencies with drones has
increased by approximately 82 percent in the last year
alone. All told, there are now more than twice as many
agencies that own drones as there are agencies that own
manned aircraft in the U.S.
This database includes all known law enforcement and
emergency response agencies that are reported to own
at least one drone. It may not, however, reflect the total
number of agencies that have used drones at some point,
as it is not uncommon for an agency to receive drone
services from nearby agencies or to contract the services
of a local drone operator. This database is based on a
combination of local media reports and government
records.
METHODOLOGY
This survey is based on local media reports as well as
official records such as FAA aircraft registrations, FAA
Part 107 Waivers, and local government minutes and
publications. Thirty-four agencies were contacted by the
author to confirm their acquisition of a drone. In addition
to local law enforcement and first responder agencies,
this dataset includes city and county emergency
services agencies that have acquired drones, as well
as statewide offices such as highway patrol and fire
marshals. In compiling this database, we did not include
agencies that were reported to have borrowed a drone
or contracted drone services from a third-party. We did
include agencies that have purchased drones for training
purposes and we have included public sector agencies
that, while not entirely dedicated to public safety, have
expressed an their intention to use those drones for
public safety missions such as search and rescue. As
1
MAY 2018
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• At least 910 state and local police, sheriff, fire and
EMS, and public safety agencies have acquired
drones in recent years;
• Law enforcement agencies make up two-thirds
(599) of the public safety agencies with drones;
• The majority of drones operated by public safety
agencies are consumer and prosumer models;
• There are more than twice as many public safety
agencies with drones as there are agencies with
manned aircraft.
this is an informal survey based on a variety of source
materials, it should be viewed as an estimate and not as
an official tally of public safety drone programs.
An additional source of material for this update was
a list of civil and public agencies that have received
Certificates of Authorization (COA) to fly drones.
Certificates of Authorization and Part 107 Waivers
are two types of additional approval that some drone
operators may choose to pursue depending on the
location or type of planned operation. (Not all public
safety agencies are required to obtain either approval
to begin flying.) This data was released by the Federal
Aviation Administration in October 2017 in response to a
Freedom of Information Act request by Muckrock. Each
of the 94 new agencies in the dataset that were added
based on having received a COA have been verified by a
second source. For more on the methodology, please see
our April 2017 study.
Edited by Arthur Holland Michel. Editorial support
provided by Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Presentation by
Dan Gettinger. Copyright © 2018 Center for the
Study of the Drone at Bard College
FINDINGS

Agency Type

Of the 910 public safety agencies in our dataset, 302 are

sheriff or county police (33 percent), 278 are municipal
police (30 percent), 186 are municipal and county fire
or EMS (20 percent), 107 are municipal and county
emergency management and public safety agencies (12
percent), and 37 are statewide public safety agencies
such as highway patrol and fire marshall (4 percent).
Some city, county, and state public safety agencies have
acquired drones for use by multiple different agencies. The Tulare County Sheriff’s UAV Response Unit. Photo
This proportion of agencies according to type has not courtesy of the Tulare County Sheriff.
changed significantly since the Center’s April 2017
report.
Public Safety Agencies with Drones
Location
Agency Type Qty
Public safety agencies that have acquired drones are County Police and Sheriff 302
located in 619 counties in every U.S. state except for
Rhode Island. Texas (67), California (58), and Wisconsin Municipal Police 278
(56) lead the states in terms of the number of agencies Fire and EMS 186
with drones. Twenty-eight states have at least one
statewide public safety agency with drones, up from 17 City/County Emergency Management 107
states in our previous estimate. Of the 619 counties with Statewide Agency 37
a municipal or county public safety department drone,
152 are home to two or more public safety agencies with
drones. The county with the greatest number of public Public Safety Agencies with Drones by Year*
safety agencies with drones is Cook County, Illinois,
which has 11 agencies with drones.
1000
Date of Acquisition*

We have established the approximate year that a public 800

safety department started its drone program for 860
Agencies with Drones

of 910 agencies. Between 2009 and 2015, at least 148

agencies appeared to have started a drone program. In 600
2016, 258 agencies appeared to have started a drone
program—more than all the prior years combined—and
in 2017, 334 agencies. In 2017, the total number of 400
agencies with drones increased by 82 percent. As of this
writing, 120 agencies appear to have acquired drones in
2018. 200

*This estimate is based on either the year as reported

in local media or, in the case of FAA records, the year 0
that the department received an N-number registration, 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
COA, or Part 107 Waiver. As a result, it is difficult to Year
know the precise origin date for each department’s drone
program.
*Data is available for 860 of the 910 agencies.

2
Drone Type
Common Public Safety Drone Manufacturers*
We have determined the drone manufacturer and model
for 627 of the 910 agencies in the database. Of these 627
agencies, the majority (523) have acquired at least one Mfr Agencies
drone from DJI, the Chinese manufacturer of consumer DJI 523
and prosumer drones. Of the 627 agencies, 260 (41
percent) have acquired one or more DJI Phantom* and Yuneec 31
211 agencies (33 percent) have acquired one or more DJI Physical Sciences 14
Inspire. At least 103 agencies (16 percent) have acquired
either a DJI Matrice or DJI Mavic. At least 31 agencies Draganfly 10
own a drone made by Yuneec, making that company the
Parrot 8
second most popular drone manufacturer following DJI.
There are 28 companies and 42 drone models contained Leptron 8
in the database.

*Numbered variants of the same model are classified as Common Public Safety Drones*
the same system; drones such as the DJI Phantom 3 and
Phantom 4 are listed only as “DJI Phantom.” Mfr Mdl Agencies**

Number of Drones per Agency DJI Phantom 260

DJI Inspire 211
Approximately 21 percent of agencies (194) appear
to have acquired more than one drone, although the DJI Matrice 61
true number of agencies with multiple drones is likely DJI Mavic 42
higher. These agencies have on average three drones per
department. Three statewide agencies—the New York Yuneec Typhoon 30
State Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Physical Sciences InstantEye 14
Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office—have acquired more
than 10 drones. The local law enforcement agencies Draganfly Draganflyer 10
with the greatest number of drones are the Polk County 3DR Solo 9
Sheriff, FL (20 drones); San Diego County Sheriff, CA
(10); Alameda County Sheriff, CA (10); Palm Beach Leptron RDASS 8
County Sheriff, FL (9); and Rockford Police Department, Aeryon Skyranger 6
IL (9).
Parrot AR Drone 5
Acquisition Method and Cost
Lockheed Martin Indago 5
Public safety agencies acquire drones in different ways. Autel X-Star Premium 5
Of the 161 agencies for which this information is
Maxsur Seeker 4
available, 74 have acquired a drone with a donation, 39
with grants, 26 with seized or forfeited funds, 17 with GoPro Karma 3
budgeted funding, and 5 by other means. The average
cost of acquiring one or more drones was $18,117 while
the median was $10,000. (Cost data is available for 172 *Data is available for 627 of 910 agencies. Some
of 910 agencies. It does not necessarily reflect budgeted agencies have more than one type of drone.
expenditures and may include additional costs such
as sensors and training.) As of March 2018, we have **Reflects the number of agencies with at least one
not observed any transfers of unmanned aircraft from drone of each model. Does not reflect the total number of
the U.S. military to local law enforcement through the units in service.
Defense Logistics Agency’s 1033 program.

3
 Map of Public Safety Agencies with Drones by State

AK ME

WI VT NH

WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA

OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI

CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE Agencies
>40
AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC
30 - 39
OK LA MS AL GA 20 - 29
10-19
HI TX FL
<10

List of Public Safety Agencies with Drones by State

ALABAMA 31 LOUISIANA 17 OHIO 38

ALASKA 2 MAINE 3 OKLAHOMA 14
ARIZONA 16 MARYLAND 6 OREGON 18
ARKANSAS 10 MASSACHUSETTS 18 PENNSYLVANIA 31
CALIFORNIA 58 MICHIGAN 14 SOUTH CAROLINA 17
COLORADO 27 MINNESOTA 29 SOUTH DAKOTA 6
CONNECTICUT 18 MISSISSIPPI 10 TENNESSEE 19
DELAWARE 8 MISSOURI 22 TEXAS 67
FLORIDA 38 MONTANA 2 UTAH 9
GEORGIA 34 NEBRASKA 6 VERMONT 1
HAWAII 1 NEVADA 8 VIRGINIA 26
IDAHO 12 NEW HAMPSHIRE 4 WASHINGTON 14
ILLINOIS 39 NEW JERSEY 13 WEST VIRGINIA 3
INDIANA 35 NEW MEXICO 2 WISCONSIN 56
IOWA 24 NEW YORK 28 WYOMING 2
KANSAS 17 NORTH CAROLINA 20
KENTUCKY 11 NORTH DAKOTA 6

4
 Public Safety Aviation Summary
COMPARISON TO MANNED PUBLIC
SAFETY AIRCRAFT* Agencies with Qty

The majority of agencies that operate drones did not
previously possess their own aerial capability. Of the 910
public safety agencies with drones, 80 also fly a manned
aircraft. (Of course, public safety manned aircraft are
probably more frequently used to support multiple
agencies in a given area than drones.) One-hundred and
twenty-five counties contain at least one public safety
agency with a manned aircraft and one agency with a
drone.
Municipal and county law enforcement jurisdictions with
manned aircraft tend to be significantly larger in terms of
the number of personnel than jurisdictions with drones.
According to the Department of Justice’s Uniform
Crime Reporting law enforcement employee data, the
municipalities with at least one law enforcement drone
employ on average 272 law enforcement officer and
civilian personnel. Meanwhile, municipalities with at
least one manned aircraft employ, on average, 2,409 law
enforcement personnel. County-level law enforcement
agencies with drones employ an average of 343
officer and civilian personnel, while county-level law
enforcement agencies with manned aircraft employ an
average of 774 personnel.
Public safety departments with drones and departments
with manned aircraft tend to look pretty different from
one another in other ways:
• Public safety departments with drones are more
widely distributed across the U.S. than departments
with manned aircraft. For example, while just 16
percent of all departments with manned aircraft are
located in the northeast and midwest (Census Regions
1 and 2), approximately 45 percent public safety
Drones 910
Aircraft 338
Both Drones and Aircraft 80
departments with drones are located in these regions.
• The average population of all counties with manned
aircraft owned by public safety departments is 94
percent greater than the average population of all
counties with department-owned drones.
• Compared to drone-operating agencies, of which
two-thirds are explicitly law enforcement departments,
90 percent of public safety departments that operate
manned aircraft (309 out of 338) work in law
enforcement.
• Fewer than five municipal or county emergency
management agencies fly manned aircraft, whereas
107 municipal or county emergency management
agencies own drones. Similarly, while just 18 fire
departments own manned aircraft, there are at least
186 fire departments with drones.
*The manned public safety aircraft data was sourced
from the FAA’s Aircraft Registry. The law enforcement
personnel data was sourced from the Department
of Justice police employee data from 2016, the most
recent year for which data is available. The DoJ’s
UCR data does not include all law enforcement
departments, nor does it reflect fire or EMS personnel.
UCR law enforcement employee data was available for
approximately 80 percent of municipalities and counties
with drones or manned aircraft. County population data
was sourced from the 2010 U.S. Census. For more on
manned public safety aviation, see page 14.

Municipal and County Law Enforcement Agencies with Drones and Manned Aircraft by Size

Municipal County
Agencies with Agencies with Agencies with Agencies with
Agency Size
Drones Aircraft Drones Aircraft
More than 5,000 Employees 1 5 1 2
1,000 - 5,000 9 30 11 17
500 - 1,000 12 10 19 19
100 - 500 96 22 101 44
Fewer than 100 Employees 122 3 108 25

5
APPENDIX 1: PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS WITH DRONES

For the full database, please visit dronecenter.bard.edu.

Anchorage Police Department AK Rogers Police Department AR Fremont Fire Department CA

Fairbanks Police Department AK Sherwood Police Department AR Fremont Police Department CA
Autauga County Emergency Union County Sheriff AR Kern County Sheriff CA
AL
Management Agency
West Memphis Fire Department AR Lodi Police Department CA
Birmingham AL
Arizona Department of Correc- Los Angeles County Sheriff CA
AZ
Blount County AL tions
Los Angeles Fire Department CA
Clanton Police Department AL Arizona Department of Public
AZ Los Angeles Police Department CA
Safety
Coffee County Sheriff AL
Los Banos Police Department CA
Chandler Police Department AZ
Cullman Police Department AL
Menlo Park Fire Department CA
Cochise County Sheriff AZ
Dale County Sheriff AL
Merced County Sheriff CA
Gila River Police Department AZ
Dallas County Sheriff AL
Merced Police Department CA
Maricopa County Sheriff AZ
Etowah County Sheriff AL
Modesto Police Department CA
Maricopa Police Department AZ
Gadsden Police Department AL
Moraga-Orinda Fire District CA
Mesa Fire and Medical AZ
Henry County Sheriff AL
Newark Police Department CA
Navajo County Sheriff AZ
Hoover Police Department AL
Oakdale Police Department CA
Oro Valley Police Department AZ
Houston County Sheriff AL
Pomona Police Department CA
Paradise Valley Police Depart-
Jasper Fire Department AL AZ
ment Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protec-
CA
Jefferson County Sheriff AL tion District
Phoenix Fire Department AZ
Lauderdale County Sheriff AL Redding Police Department CA
Sahuarita Police Department AZ
Lee County Sheriff AL Redwood City Fire Department CA
Salt River Police Department AZ
Limestone County Sheriff AL Rialto Fire Department CA
Scottsdale Police Department AZ
Mobile County Sheriff AL Richmond Police Department CA
Sedona Fire Department AZ
Mobile Police Department AL Ripon Consolidated Fire District CA
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office CA
Montgomery County Sheriff AL Ripon Police Department CA
Anaheim Fire and Rescue CA
Pelham Police Department AL Riverside County Sheriff CA
Anderson Police Department CA
Priceville Police Department AL San Bernardino County Fire
Azusa Police Department CA CA
Rainbow City Police Department AL Protection District
Bakersfield Fire Department CA
San Bernardino Police Depart-
Russell County Sheriff AL CA
Barstow Police Department CA ment
Russellville Police Department AL
Beaumont Police Department CA San Diego County Sheriff’s
CA
Selma Police Department AL Department
Cal State Monterey University
CA
Shelby County Sheriff AL Police Department San Jose Police Department CA
Talladega County Sheriff AL Calaveras County Sheriff CA Seaside Fire Department CA
University of Alabama in Hunts- Chino Police Department CA Sonoma County Sheriff CA
AL
ville Police Department
Chula Vista Police Department CA Stanislaus County Sheriff CA
Vestavia Hills Fire Department AL
Contra Costa County Sheriff CA Stockton Police Department CA
Benton Police Department AR
Cosumnes Fire Department CA Torrance Police Department CA
Jackson County Sheriff AR
Culver City Police Department CA Tulare County Sheriff CA
North Little Rock Police Depart-
AR El Dorado County District Tulare Fire Department CA
ment CA
Attorney
Tuolumne County Sheriff CA
Ouachita County Sheriff AR
El Dorado County Sheriff CA
Polk County Emergency Manage- Upland Police Department CA
AR Escalon Police Department CA
ment Office Vacaville Police Department CA
Fontana Police Department CA
Pulaski County Sheriff AR Ventura County Sheriff CA

6
West Covina Police Department CA Stamford Police Department CT Palm Beach Gardens Fire De-
FL
Boulder Fire Department (Emer- partment
Trumbull Police Department CT
CO
gency Squad) Palm Beach Gardens Police
Vernon Department of Emergen- FL
CT Department
Boulder Police Department CO cy Management
Polk County Sheriff FL
Colorado Springs Fire Depart- West Haven Fire Department CT
CO
ment Putnam County Sheriff FL
Weston Volunteer Fire Depart-
CT
Colorado State Fire Prevention ment Riviera Beach Police Department FL
CO
and Control
Westport Police Department CT Sarasota County Fire Department FL
Colorado State University Police
CO Woodbury Police Department CT Southern Manatee Fire and
Department FL
Delaware Department of Cor- Rescue
Commerce City Police Depart- DE
CO rection St. Petersburg Police Department FL
ment
Delaware Emergency Manage- Tampa Bay Fire Department FL
Douglas County Sheriff CO DE
ment Agency
Tampa Bay Police Department FL
El Paso County Search and
CO Delaware State Fire School DE
Rescue Volusia County Sheriff FL
Dover Police Department DE
Elbert County Sheriff CO West Palm Beach Police Depart-
FL
Millville Fire Department DE ment
Fort Collins Police Services CO
New Castle County Police De- Athens-Clarke County Police
Fountain Police Department CO DE GA
partment Department
Golden Police Department CO
Ocean View Police Department DE Austell Police Department GA
Grand County Sheriff CO
Wilmington Police Department DE Brunswick Police Department GA
Greeley Police Department CO
Alachua County Fire Rescue FL Cherokee County Sheriff GA
La Plata County Emergency
CO Aventura Police Department FL Clayton County Fire and Emer-
Management GA
gency Service
Broward County Sheriff FL
Larimer County Sheriff CO
Cobb County Police Department GA
Clearwater Police Department FL
Littleton Fire and Rescue CO
Columbia County Sheriff GA
Collier County Sheriff FL
Longmont Fire Department CO
Conyers Police Department GA
Coral Springs Fire Department FL
Longmont Police Department CO
Douglas County Sheriff GA
Crestview Police Department FL
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority CO
Douglasville Police Department GA
Davie Fire Rescue Department FL
Loveland Police Department CO
Duluth Police Department GA
Daytona Beach Police Depart-
Mesa County Sheriff CO FL
ment Dunwoody Police Department GA
Mineral County CO
Daytona Beach Shores Police Gainesville Fire Department GA
FL
Poudre Fire Authority CO Department Georgia Department of Public
GA
Pueblo Police Department CO Doral Police Department FL Safety
Red, White and Blue Fire Protec- Estero Fire Rescue FL Georgia Emergency Management
CO
tion District Agency and Office of Homeland GA
Florida Highway Patrol FL
South Metro Fire Rescue Au- Security
CO Hardee County Sheriff FL
thority Georgia Public Safety Training
Highlands County Sheriff FL GA
Colchester Fire Department CT Center
Key West City FL Glynn County Emergency Man-
Danbury Fire Department CT GA
Lake County Sheriff FL agement Agency
Fairfield County Hazardous Inci-
CT Gwinnett County Police Depart-
dent Response Team Lakeland Police Department FL GA
ment
Hartford Police Department CT Madeira Beach Fire Department FL
Habersham County Sheriff GA
Milford Police Department CT Martin County Fire Rescue FL
Henry County Police Department GA
Norfolk Volunteer Fire Depart- Miami Beach Police Department FL
CT LaGrange Police Department GA
ment Miami Dade Schools Police
FL Lamar County Sheriff GA
North Stonington Volunteer Fire Department
CT
District Orange County Fire and Rescue FL Lawrenceville Police Department GA
Orange Fire Department CT Macon-Bibb County Emergency
Orange County Sheriff FL GA
Orange Police Department CT Management Agency
Orlando Fire Department FL
Plainfield Police Department CT Morrow Police Department GA
Palm Beach County Sheriff FL
South Windsor Police Depart- Newton County Sheriff GA
CT
ment Oconee County Sheriff GA

7
Pelham Police Department GA Power County Sheriff ID Bargersville Police Department IN
Richmond Hill Police Depart- St. Anthony Police Department ID City of Crown Point (Public
GA IN
ment Safety)
Twin Falls County Sheriff ID
Roswell Police Department GA Clinton County Sheriff IN
Adams County Emergency Man-
IL
Sandy Springs Police Department GA agement Agency Elkhart Police Department IN
Spalding County Sheriff GA Alsip Fire Department IL Fishers Police Department IN
Thomas County Sheriff GA Belleville Fire Department IL Fort Wayne Police Department IN
Whitfield County Sheriff GA Carpentersville Fire Department IL Franklin Police Department IN
Maui Police Department HI Champaign Fire Department IL Gary Police Department IN
Allamakee County Sheriff IA City of Peru IL Greenfield Police Department IN
Black Hawk County UAS Aerial Columbia Fire Department IL Hammond Police Department IN
IA
Response Team Country Club Hills Police De- Henry County Office of Emergen-
IL IN
Boone County Sheriff Depart- partment cy Management
IA
ment Indiana Department of Natural
DuPage County Sheriff IL
Buena Vista County Sheriff IA Resources Law Enforcement IN
Effingham County Emergency
IL Division
Butler County Emergency Man- Management Agency
IA
agement Indianapolis Metropolitan Police
Elgin Fire Department IL IN
Clear Lake Fire Department IA Department
Evergreen Park Fire Department IL
Council Bluffs Fire Department IA Jackson County Sheriff IN
Forest Park Police Department IL
Decorah Fire Department IA Jasper County Sheriff IN
Franklin County Sheriff IL
Dickinson County Department of La Porte Fire Department IN
IA Glenview Fire Department IL
Emergency Management Lebanon Police Department IN
Granite City Police Department IL
Dubuque Fire Department IA Madison County Emergency
Gurnee Police Department IL IN
Dubuque Police Department IA Management
Hanover Park Police Department IL Noble County Sheriff’s Depart-
Fayette County Sheriff IA IN
Huntley Fire Protection District IL ment
Floyd County Emergency Man-
IA Perry County Emergency Man-
agement Illinois State Police IL IN
agement Agency
Jasper County Emergency Man- Jo Daviess County Sheriff IL
IA Porter County Sheriff IN
agement Agency
Kendall County Sheriff IL
Jefferson County Sheriff Office IA Princeton Fire Territory IN
Kewanee Police Department IL
Jones County Sheriff IA Richmond Fire Department IN
Lake County Major Crash Assis-
IL Richmond Police Department IN
Kossuth County Sheriff’s Depart- tance Team
IA
ment Ripley County Sheriff IN
Madison County Sheriff IL
Mitchell County Emergency Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s
IA Naperville Fire Department IL IN
Services Office
Northbrook Police Department IL
Perry Fire Department IA Valparaiso Police Department IN
Ogle County Sheriff IL
Polk County Emergency Man- Vanderburgh County Emergency
IA IN
agement Orland Fire Protection District IL Management Agency
Sioux County Sheriff IA Orland Park Police Department IL Vanderburgh County Sheriff IN
Storm Lake Police Department IA Plainfield Fire Protection District IL Vigo County Sheriff IN
Waterloo Fire Department IA Pontiac Police Department IL Warrick County Seriff's Office IN
Winthrop Fire Department IA Robinson Police Department IL Wayne Township Fire Depart-
IN
Ada County Sheriff ID Rockford Fire Department IL ment

Bannock County Sheriff ID Rockford Police Department IL Zionsville Fire Department IN

Blaine County Search and Rescue ID Romeoville Fire Department IL Cheyenne County Sheriff KS

Canyon County Sheriff ID Streator Fire Department IL Dodge Police Department KS

Gem County Sheriff ID Utica Fire Protection District IL Galena Fire Department KS

Winnetka Fire Department IL Harvey County Emergency Re-

Idaho Falls Police Department ID KS
sponse Team
Idaho State Police ID Angola Police Department IN
Johnson County Sheriff KS
Meridian Police Department ID Bargersville Community Fire
IN Kansas City Police Department KS
Department
Nampa Police Department ID

8
Kansas Fire Marshall KS Brewster Ambulance Service MA Douglas County Sheriff MN
Leavenworth Police Department KS Bridgewater Emergency Man- Duluth Fire Department MN
MA
agement
Lenexa Fire Department KS Freeborn County Sheriff MN
Massachusetts State Department
Lenexa Police Department KS MA Goodhue County Sheriff MN
of Fire Services
Marion County Emergency Hamel Fire Department MN
KS Massachusetts State Police MA
Management
Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office MN
Oxford Police Department MA
Olathe Police Department KS
Hubbard County Sheriff MN
Peabody Fire Department MA
Osage County Sheriff KS
Marshall County Sheriff MN
Springfield Fire Department MA
Riley County Police Department KS
Morrison County Sheriff MN
Swansea Police Department MA
Shawnee County Sheriff KS
Nicollet County Sheriff MN
Town of Hanover Emergency
Sumner County Sheriff KS MA
Management Otter Tail County Sheriff MN
Topeka Police Department KS
Watertown Fire Department MA Owatonna Police Department MN
Cincinnati Northern Kentucky
KY Wayland Fire Department MA Perham Fire Department MN
International Airport Police
Westfield Police Department MA Pipestone County Sheriff MN
Edmonson County Sheriff KY
Yarmouth Police Department MA Polk County Sheriff MN
Georgetown Police Department KY
Annapolis Office of Emergency Renville County Sheriff MN
Graves County Sheriff KY MD
Management
Rochester Police Department MN
Hazard Police Department KY
Carroll County Sheriff and EMS
MD St. Cloud Police Department MN
Jeffersontown Police Department KY Department
Stearns County Sheriff’s Office MN
Kentucky State Police KY Cecil County Sheriff MD
Washington County Sheriff MN
Louisville Fire and Rescue KY Charles County Sheriff and EMS MD
Willmar Police Department MN
Munfordville Police Department KY Montgomery County Fire and
MD
Rescue Department Windom Police Department MN
Rowan County Emergency Man-
KY
agement St. Mary's County Sheriff MD Winona County Sheriff MN
Somerset Police Department KY Brunswick Police Department ME Wright County Sheriff MN
Assumption Parish Sheriff LA Maine State Police ME Boone County Fire Department MO
Bossier Fire Department LA York County Emergency Man- Camden County Sheriff MO
ME
Bossier Parish Sheriff LA agement Agency Cole County Emergency Re-
MO
Almont Police Department MI sponse Team
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff LA
Battle Creek Police Department MI Creve Coeur Police Department MO
Grant Parish Sheriff LA
Berrien County Sheriff MI Henry County Emergency Man-
Jefferson Parish Sheriff LA MO
Big Rapids Township Fire De- agement
Lockport Volunteer Fire Depart- MI
LA partment Indian Point Police Department MO
ment
Farmington Police Department MI Jackson County Sheriff MO
Louisiana State Fire Marshal LA
Grand Rapids Fire Department MI Jasper County Sheriff MO
Rapides Parish Sheriff LA
Grand Traverse County Sheriff MI Kansas City Missouri Police
Red River Parish Sheriff LA MO
Department
Kent County Sheriff MI
Slidell Police Department LA
Lafayette County Sheriff MO
Mason County Sheriff MI
St Charles Parish Sheriff LA
Logan Rogersville Fire Depart-
Michigan State Police MI MO
St James Parish Sheriff LA ment
Monroe County Sheriff MI
St John the Baptist Parish Sheriff LA Maryville Department of Public
MO
Oakland County Fire MI Safety
St Martin Parish Sheriff LA
Oakland County Sheriff MI Missouri State Highway Patrol MO
Thibodaux Police Department LA
Tuscola County Sheriff MI Perry County Sheriff MO
Vidalia Police Department LA
Anoka County Emergency Man- Polk County Office of Emergency
Andover Police Department MA MN MO
agement Management
Attleboro Police Department MA
Anoka County Sheriff MN Randolph County Sheriff MO
Barnstable Police Department MA
Big Lake Police Department MN Scott County Sheriff MO
Beverly Emergency Management
MA Clay County Sheriff MN Springfield Fire Department MO
Department
Dakota County Sheriff MN St. Louis County Police Depart-
Boston Police Department MA MO
ment

9
Stoddard County Sheriff MO Bellevue Fire Department NE Livingston County Sheriff NY
University City Fire Department MO Buffalo County Sheriff NE Manlius Fire Department NY
Wentzville Police Department MO La Vista Police Department NE Monroe County Sheriff NY
Adams County Sheriff MS Region 21 Emergency Manage- Nassau County Police Depart-
NE NY
Calhoun County Emergency ment ment
MS
Management Agency Sarpy County Sheriff NE New Rochelle Police Department NY
Desoto County Emergency Man- Waterloo Fire Department NE New York City Fire Department NY
MS
agement
Danville Police Department NH New York State Police NY
Flowood Police Department MS
Exeter Fire Department NH Niagara County Sheriff NY
Gulfport Fire Department MS
Lancaster Fire Department NH Orange County Emergency
NY
Mississippi State Fire Academy MS Services
Webster Fire Department NH
Monroe County Search and Oswego County Sheriff NY
MS Bergen County Office of Emer-
Rescue Team NJ
gency Management Peekskill Police Department NY
Pascagoula Law Enforcement MS
Brick Township Police Depart- Richmond County District Attor-
NJ NY
Prentiss County Sheriff MS ment neys Office
Rankin County Sheriff MS Camden County NJ Rome Police Department NY
Great Falls Police Department MT Gloucester County Emergency Saratoga County Sheriff NY
NJ
Stillwater County Sheriff MT Response Suffolk County Police Depart-
NY
Hawthorne Fire Department NJ ment
Bertie County Sheriff NC
Holmdel Township Office of Ulster County Sheriff NY
Carova Beach Volunteer Fire & NJ
NC Emergency Management
Rescue Utica Police Department NY
Cleveland County Sheriff NC Middlesex Sheriff NJ Washington County Department
NY
Millstone Valley Fire Department NJ of Public Safety
Durham Fire Department NC
Ocean County Sheriff NJ West Seneca Police Department NY
Fayetteville Police Department NC
River Vale Police Department NJ Yorktown Police Department NY
Granite Falls Fire Department NC
Saddle River Office of Emergen- Allen County Emergency Man-
Guilford County Sheriff NC NJ OH
cy Management agement Agency
Harnett County Emergency
NC Somerset County Sherif's Office NJ Auglaize County Sheriff OH
Services
Wyckoff FIre Department NJ Avon Police Department OH
Hendersonville Police Depart-
NC
ment New Mexico State Police NM Beavercreek Police Department OH
Iredell County Sheriff NC New Mexico State University Blue Ash Police Department OH
NM
Johnston County Sheriff NC Police Butler County Sheriff’s Office OH
Kinston Police Department NC Carson City Fire Department NV Cincinnati Police Department OH
Lenoir County Emergency Clark County Fire Department NV Cleveland Police Department OH
NC
Services Elko County Sheriff NV Coshocton County Sheriff OH
Moore County Sheriff NC Henderson Fire Department NV Cuyahoga Community College
OH
New Hanover County Emergency Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Police Department
NC NV
Management Department Darke County Sheriff OH
North Carolina Department of Nevada Highway Patrol NV
NC Dayton Fire Department OH
Public Safety
Reno Fire Department NV Erie County Sheriff OH
Randolph County Sheriff NC
Washoe County Emergency Man- Fremont Police Department OH
Wake Forest Fire Department NC NV
agement and Homeland Security
Geauga County Sheriff OH
Wayne County Sheriff NC Albany County Sheriff NY
Guernsey County Sheriff OH
Wrightsville Beach Fire Depart- Cayuga County Sheriff NY
NC
ment Hamilton County Sheriff OH
Clarkstown Police Department NY
Billings County Sheriff ND Huron County Sheriff OH
Elmira Police Department NY
Burleigh County Sheriff ND Independence Fire Department OH
Fulton County Sheriff NY
Cass County Sheriff ND Lake County Public Safety Office OH
Greenburgh Police Department NY
Fargo Fire Department ND Logan Police Department OH
Greene County Sheriff NY
Grand Forks Sheriff ND Mahoning County Sheriff OH
Jamestown Police Department NY
Morton County Sheriff ND Medina County Sheriff Office OH

10
Mercer County Sheriff OH North Lincoln Fire and Rescue OR Warren County Department of
PA
Northwood Police Department OH Oregon Police Department OR Public Safety
Ohio Attorney General's Office OH Aiken County Sheriff SC
Oregon State Police OR
Oregon Police Division OH Anderson County Sheriff SC
Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue OR
Ottawa County Sheriff OH Berkely County Resuce SC
Umatilla County Sheriff OR
Parma Police Department OH Cherokee County Sheriff SC
Allegheny County PA
Putnam County Sheriff OH Florence County Emergency
Association of Blair County Law SC
PA Response Team
Richland County Sheriff OH Enforcement
Back Mountain Community Goose Creek Fire Department SC
Shelby County Sheriff OH PA
Partnership Greenville County Sheriff SC
Streetsboro Police Department OH
Beaver County Emergency Horry County Fire Rescue SC
Toledo Police Department OH PA
Services
Horry County Police Department SC
Union County Sheriff OH Bethlehem Police Department PA
Jasper County Emergency Ser-
Washington County Sheriff OH SC
Blakely Ambulance and Rescue PA vices
Willoughby Fire Department OH Chambersburg Fire Department PA Mount Pleasant Police Depart-
SC
Wood County Sheriff OH Chester County Department of ment
PA
Broken Arrow Police Department OK Emergency Services Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire
SC
Chester County Sheriff PA District
Canadian County Department of
OK Myrtle Beach Police Department SC
Emergency Management Coolbaugh Township Volunteer
PA
Choctaw County Emergency Fire Department Pickens County Sheriff SC
OK
Management Agency Crafton Police Department PA Richland County Sheriff SC
Choctaw County Sheriff OK Delaware County Department of South Carolina Highway Patrol SC
PA
Delaware County Sheriff OK Emergency Services
York County Sheriff SC
Duncan Police Department OK Dover Township Fire Department PA
Brookings Fire Department SD
Grant County Emergency Man- Greensburg Fire Department PA
OK Brown County Emergency Man-
agement Hazmat 2 Environmental Fire SD
PA agement
Miami Police Department OK Rescue Davison County Search and
Lehigh County Emergency Man- SD
Pittsburg County Emergency PA Rescue
OK agement
Management Lincoln County Emergency Man-
Lehigh University Police Depart- SD
Pottawatomie County Sheriff OK PA agement Department
ment
Rogers County Sheriff OK South Dakota Highway Patrol SD
Lower Makefield Township
Sapulpa Police Department OK PA Union County Sheriff SD
Police Department
Stillwater Emergency Manage- Bartlett Police Department TN
OK Montgomery County Correction-
ment Agency PA
al Facility Blount County Rescue Squad TN
Tulsa Fire Department OK Montgomery County Department Bristol TN
PA
Bend Police Department OR of Public Safety
Carter County Sheriff TN
Benton County Sheriff OR Montgomery County Sheriff PA
Columbia Fire Department TN
Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protec- Mount Carmel Township Police
OR PA Crossville Police Department TN
tion District Department
Dickson County Sheriff TN
Coos County Sheriff OR Murrysville Police Department PA
Hamilton County Emergency
Deschutes County Sheriff OR Northern Regional Police Depart- TN
PA Services
ment
Eugene Springfield Fire Depart- Hamilton County Sheriff TN
OR Phoenixville Police Department PA
ment
Hawkins County Sheriff TN
Gresham Police Department OR Pittsburgh Public Safety Depart-
PA
ment Johnson City Police Department TN
Hamlet Fire Department OR
Scranton Police Department PA Memphis Police Department TN
Jackson County Fire Department OR
Southern Chester County Region- Oak Ridge Fire Department TN
Jackson County Sheriff's Search PA
OR al Police Department
and Rescue Obion County Sheriff TN
Susquehanna County District
Jefferson County Sheriff OR PA Rutherford County EMS TN
Attorneys Office
Juniper Flat Rural Fire Protection Rutherford County Sheriff TN
OR Upper Uwchlan Police Depart-
District PA
ment Spring Hill Police Department TN
Lincoln County Sheriff OR

11
Wayne County Sheriff TN Mansfield Fire Department TX Fairfax Fire and Rescue Depart-
VA
ment
Williamson County Sheriff TN Mansfield Police Department TX
Fredericksburg Police Depart-
Abilene Police Department TX McAllen Independent School VA
TX ment
District Police Department
Argyle Fire District TX George Mason Police Department VA
Midland County Sheriff TX
Arlington Police Department TX Grayson County VA
Montgomery County Sheriff TX
Athens Fire Department TX Harrisonburg Police Department VA
Navarro County Sheriff TX
Austin Fire Department Robotics
TX Henrico County VA
Emergency Deployment Team Nueces County Sheriff TX
Loudoun County Sheriff VA
Bastrop County Emergency Ser- Paris Fire Department TX
TX Martinsville Fire and EMS VA
vices District 2
Pecos Police Department TX
Beaumont Police Department TX Middlesex County Sheriff VA
Prosper Fire Department TX
Brazoria County TX Petersburg Police Department VA
Reeves County Sheriff TX
Brown County Sheriff TX Pittsylvania County Sheriff VA
Sabine Volunteer Fire Department TX
Brownsville Fire Department TX Prince George County Fire and
San Marcos Police Department TX VA
EMS
Bryan Fire Department TX
Smith County Sheriff TX Richmond Fire Department VA
Burleson County Sheriff TX
Somervell County Emergency Rockingham County Department
TX VA
Burleson Fire Department TX Management of Fire and Rescue
Corpus Christi Fire Department TX South Padre Island Police De-
TX Russell County Sheriff VA
partment
Corpus Christi Police Department TX Spotsylvania Sheriff VA
Temple Police Department TX
Denton County Emergency
TX Stafford County Sheriff VA
Services Texas City Emergency Manage-
TX Tazewell County Sheriff VA
ment
DeWitt County Sheriff TX
Texas Department of Public Virginia Beach Fire Department VA
Ector County Sheriff TX TX
Safety Virginia Beach Police Depart-
El Paso Fire Department Special VA
TX Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart- ment
Ops TX
ment Virginia Department of Emergen-
Everman Police Department TX VA
Texas State Fire Marshals Office TX cy Management
Fort Bend County Office of York County Emergency Man-
TX Tom Green County Sheriff TX VA
Emergency Management agement Agency
Tyler Police Department TX
Fort Worth Fire Department TX Grand Isle County Sheriff VT
Victoria Police Department TX
Goliad County Sheriff TX Adams County Sheriff WA
Webster Police Department TX
Harris County Sheriff TX Auburn Police Department WA
Wichita Falls Fire Department TX
Heath Department of Public
TX Clark County Sheriff WA
Safety Wood County Sheriff TX
Cowlitz County Sheriff WA
Hewitt Police Department TX Beaver County Sheriff UT
Grant County Sheriff WA
Hill County Emergency Manage- Box Elder County Sheriff UT
TX Kitsap County Sheriff WA
ment
Davis County Sheriff UT
Hopkins County Sheriff TX Lakewood Police Department WA
Lindon City Police UT
Houston Fire Department TX Pullman Police Department WA
Orem Police Department UT
Hurst Fire Department TX Renton Police Department WA
Provo Police Department UT
Hurst Police Department TX Skagit County Sheriff WA
Utah County Sheriff UT
Johnson County Emergency Snohomish County Fire Protec-
TX Utah Division of Emergency WA
Management UT tion District #22
Management
Joshua Fire Department TX Spokane Fire Department WA
Utah Highway Patrol UT
Kilgore Fire Department TX Tukwila Police Department WA
Albemarle County Fire and
VA Wahkiakum County Department
La Porte Fire Department TX Rescue WA
of Emergency Management
Lake Jackson Police Department TX Albemarle County Sheriff VA
Adams County Sheriff WI
Lamar County TX Bedford Fire Department VA
Appleton Fire Department WI
Laredo Police Department TX Caroline County Department
of Fire, Resuce & Emergency VA Barron County Sheriff WI
Liberty County Sheriff TX
Management Brillion Police Department WI
Lubbock Police Department TX
Chippewa County Sheriff WI

12
Columbia County Sheriff WI Waterloo Fire Department WI
Columbus Fire Department WI Waukesha Police Department WI
Crawford County Emergency West Salem Police Department WI
WI
Management
Weyauwega Police Department WI
Dane County Emergency Man-
WI Wisconsin State Capitol Police WI
agement
Wood County Sheriff WI
Dodge County Sheriff WI
Cabell County Emergency Man-
Door County Sheriff WI WV
agement
Eau Claire County Sheriff WI
Kanawha County Sheriff WV
Elk Mound Police Department WI
South Charleston Fire Depart-
WV
Fond du Lac County Sheriff WI ment
Footville Fire Department WI Casper Police Department WY
Forest County Sheriff WI Cheyenne Fire Department WY
Franklin Police Department WI
Grant County Emergency Man-
WI
agement
Green Lake County Sheriff WI
Greenfield Police Department WI
Jackson County Sheriff WI
Janesville Fire Department WI
Janesville Police Depatment WI
Kewaunee County Sheriff WI
Lake Geneva Police Department WI
Lincoln County Sheriff WI
Linn Police Department WI
Madison Police Department WI
Manitowoc Police Department WI
Marathon County Sheriff WI
Middleton Fire Department WI
Minocqua Fire Department WI
Muskego Police Department WI
Neenah Police Department WI
Newbold Fire Department WI
Oconto County Sheriff WI
Oostburg Fire Department WI
Outagamie County Sheriff WI
Plover Police Department WI
Price County Sheriff WI
Racine County Sheriff WI
Ripon Fire Department WI
Rock County Sheriff WI
Sauk County Sheriff WI
Shawano County Sheriff WI
Sheboygan County Sheriff WI
Superior Police Department WI
Trempealeau County Sheriff WI
Walworth County Sheriff WI
Washington County Sheriff WI

13
APPENDIX 2: PUBLIC SAFETY MANNED
AVIATION*

• As of April 2018, there are approximately 338

departments—288 local and 50 state public safety
agencies—that own manned aircraft according to the
FAA’s Aircraft Registry. These departments own a
total of 1,150 fixed- and rotary- wing aircraft.
• One-in-five manned aircraft registered to a
government agency belongs to a state or local public
safety department.
• Agencies in three states—California, Florida, and
Texas—own 40 percent of all aircraft registered to
public safety departments.
• The state agency with the most number of aircraft is
the Alaska Department of Public Safety (34 aircraft). Photo by Christopher Ebdon/Flickr
The county or municipal agency with the most aircraft
is the Los Angeles County Sheriff (24 aircraft). The
Public Safety Agencies with Manned Aircraft
average number of aircraft per agency is 3.4.
• The 288 county and municipal public safety
Agency Type Agencies
departments with manned aircraft are located in 233
counties. The 50 statewide agency public safety County Police and Sheriff 189
departments are located in 44 states.
• Approximately 72 percent of all manned public safety Municipal Police 79
aircraft registered with the FAA are rotary-wing Fire and EMS 18
aircraft. The single most common aircraft among
public safety departments is the Bell OH-58 Kiowa City/County Emergency Management 2
helicopter, of which there are 235 currently in service. Statewide Agency 50
• Between 2008 and 2018, the average age of public
safety manned aircraft increased from 17 to 20 years.
The total number of aircraft and agencies operating Manned Aircraft Type
manned aircraft has not changed significantly in this
period. Aircraft Type Aircraft
• As of March 2018, 155 state and local public safety Rotary-Wing 828
agencies had received 412 manned aircraft from the
Department of Defense through the 1033 program, Single-Engine Fixed-Wing 272
although it was not immediately clear whether all of Multi-Engine Fixed-Wing 45
these aircraft had active N-number registrations.
Other 5
*Source: Federal Aviation Administration Aircraft
Registry for 2008, 2013, and April 2018. The 2018
data includes 47 aircraft for which the registration is Manned Aircraft by Agency Type
nearing expiration. It does not include aircraft with
expired registrations. Nor does it include aircraft that Agency Type Aircraft
are operated by local agencies but that are registered County Police and Sheriff 487
by federal agencies or EMS aircraft registered to
private entities. In a few cases, the FAA’s N-number Municipal Police 238
data was checked against other source material such Fire and EMS 47
as photographs of the aircraft to confirm ownership.
For the full database, please contact the Center for the City/County Emergency Management 3
Study of the Drone. The Department of Defense’s Law Statewide Agency 375
Enforcement Support Office property transfer data is
available here.
14
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