NASHVILLE — The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department will launch a Drone as First Responder limited trial program on May 26, 2026. Three drones based on the roof of the Madison Precinct will respond within a two-mile radius of the precinct building to emergency calls for service, calls regarding active criminal investigations, missing person calls, and major traffic crashes.

The drones will be controlled by four FAA-certified police officers from the Community Safety Center at police headquarters. Those officers have received specialized training in drone operations. The three drones and associated equipment have been loaned to the department by Skydio for the purpose of conducting the trial.

MNPD Chief John Drake said, "The MNPD will launch a Drone as First Responder (DFR) limited trial program on Tuesday, May 26." The trial is expected to span 30 to 45 flight days, during which the drones will provide real-time situational awareness to ground units en route to incidents.

Drone as First Responder programs have proven effective in cities across the country by allowing drone operators to see what is happening and provide information to ground units en route to emergency calls. The two-mile flight radius from the Madison Precinct covers five Metro Council districts. Metro Council members Jennifer Gamble, Jeff Gregg, Jeff Eslick, Tonya Hancock, and Jennifer Frensley Webb have been briefed on the limited trial.

At the conclusion of the trial, MNPD will compile the data collected during operations and issue a report on the DFR test.