Building San Mateo PD's Data-Driven DFR Program

Synopsis

In this on-demand session, Noreen Charlton, Public Safety Strategy Lead at Skydio, is joined by Lieutenant Anthony Riccardi of the San Mateo Police Department to walk through how to launch and scale a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program using real call-for-service data. The webinar outlines the full progression from single-drone deployments to fully operational dock-based DFR systems, emphasizing how public safety agencies can take a crawl-walk-run approach. Riccardi shares San Mateo’s rapid advancement through these stages and the tactical advantages of remote and autonomous operations. The session reinforces DFR’s value not just for law enforcement, but as a citywide infrastructure asset—supporting fire, public works, and other civic missions.