Oak Brook recognized for pioneering drone program enhancing public safety and rapid response

The Village of Oak Brook was recently recognized with a prestigious honor from the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, an association of municipalities representing more than a million people. Oak Brook was lauded for “Best New Innovation” for the Drone as First Responder program (DFR). This program has made a significant impact by enhancing public safety and shortening response times.

Village President Larry Herman says, “The Village of Oak Brook’s Drone as a First Responder program is a shining example of how innovation and public safety can work hand-in-hand. By investing in this cutting-edge drone technology, Oak Brook is setting a new standard in rapid emergency response, enhancing both trust and safety, with costs far below that of putting additional officers on the street.”

With this cutting-edge technology, upon receiving a 911 police or fire call, the drone (call sign “Blu”) deploys automatically from its base on the roof of Village Hall. This GPS and radar-assisted drone can be on the scene anywhere in Oak Brook within 60 seconds of dispatch and provides a live video feed to the Real Time Crime Center and responding officers. Its high-resolution camera also incorporates thermal imaging/night vision to help locate suspects or missing persons.

According to Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis, “We are proud to be the first agency in Illinois to launch this program, and we are assisting other agencies with starting up their DFR programs. “Blu” responds to an average of ten calls for service every day and most often is the first on scene with the best view of the incident and provides real-time information to the boots on the ground. Blu has been a game-changer for our team. We are leading the way on the streets and in the air!”

Notably, this marks the second time in two years that Oak Brook has celebrated an award from their peer municipalities. In 2023, the Village also won this same award for the implementation of the FUSUS Real Time Crime Center platform and DuComm integration.