Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) —  Orange Beach is venturing into new territory in emergency response. Police Chief Trent Johnson announced a "Drone as a First Responder" program that deploys an autonomous, self-launching drone to respond to specific dispatch calls. The drone can carry different payloads depending on the emergency, including flotation devices for struggling swimmers and AEDs for cardiac events. The system is designed to serve both the police and fire departments across beach and residential areas.

The city entered a one-year free trial of the program in January 2027, with no obligation and the option to cancel at any time. Infrastructure work is scheduled to begin in January, with full operations potentially launching by June 2027.

The program uses drones manufactured by Brink that integrate with Motorola software. Once a call is entered into the dispatch system, the drone launches automatically, without any manual input from operators.

Estimates suggest the drone can reach any point in the city in about 90 seconds. For comparison, a program in an Illinois city of similar size — about 15 square miles — has achieved a 45-second response time.

Motorola will help the city obtain a certificate of authentication, enabling Orange Beach to certify its own drone pilots under the Federal Aviation Administration's Part 107 program. Officials say the certification is especially important given the city's proximity to Jack Edwards Airport.

The drone program is expected to be a major asset in water rescue situations. It can deploy a life-saving device to a distressed swimmer even when lifeguards are not immediately on scene.

The technology is also expected to reduce risks for rescue swimmers by giving them a visual look at an emergency before they respond. That could help prevent unnecessary high-speed responses when the situation turns out to be non-threatening.