By Jim Carchidi
August 19, 2026
A Lake Nona office building will serve as a base for Orlando Police Department’s Drones as First Responders (DFR) program. Orlando City Council approved a license agreement for the installment, operation, and maintenance of two rooftop docking stations near Lake Nona Town Center.
Drone responders
In February, The Orlando Real reported on city council approval of a purchase agreement with Axon Enterprises, Inc. for 11 Skydio drones to make up the program. The aircraft are integrated with OPD Crime Center systems to work directly with information from incoming 911 calls and police body and car cameras.
Drones are powered and launched from permanent rooftop docking stations to provide real-time situational awareness during emergency calls.
How it works
Under the license agreement, property owner LNT Office V, LLC will accommodate two DFR docking stations on one office building. Installation and maintenance, including electrical and communications systems, would be covered by OPD with the City of Orlando contributing liability coverage. Electrical service would come from the building's system, but the property owner would qualify for reimbursement in the event of a significant utility fee increase.
First responder drones are reserved for emergency situations and can be activated in under 20 seconds from a central operating system. Drones fly at speeds up to 40 mph at an altitude of 200 feet, and can operate in inclement weather. Navigation is managed by a mix of AI, radar and GPS.
In an email to The Orlando Real, OPD representatives stated a total of nine sites and are utilized across the Orlando area by all 11 drones.
“In order to keep our drones secure, we have not released a list of exact docking sites. However, we can confirm our DFR program allows officers to get eyes on any scene in each of Orlando’s districts within seconds.”
More coverage
The city of St. Cloud launched Central Florida's first DFR program last year with docking stations placed at strategic locations, including their downtown area. Tampa and Miami have also incorporated drone technology into their emergency response systems.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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