Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Scales Drone Operations with FAA BVLOS Waiver and DedroneBeyond. One of the First Agencies to Receive FAA's Certificate of Waiver; Establishes Nation’s Largest Single-Node DFR Operational Area, Powered by DedroneBeyond.

As the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office expanded its Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, the team needed a ground-based detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution to support beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. The system had to be FAA-compliant, validated, scalable and future-ready, capable of moving past pilot programs into continuous real-world operations while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.

Oakland County partnered with Dedrone by Axon to deploy DedroneBeyond, a ground-based BVLOS DAA system. This partnership made the Sheriff’s Office one of the first U.S. law enforcement agencies to receive the FAA’s streamlined Certificate of Waiver (CoW), enabling uninterrupted BVLOS drone operations from ground level up to 400 feet. This marks the largest FAA-approved operational volume using a single DAA node to date.DedroneBeyond uses AI-powered multi-sensor fusion to deliver real-time airspace deconfliction with near-zero false positives. Independent third-party testing confirmed a detection range of approximately 5.6 miles (about 9 kilometers), significantly exceeding ASTM safety thresholds and supporting decision-making in dynamic environments.

The DFR program now covers a 20-square-mile area with over 30 drones and 85+ certified drone pilots. Key outcomes include:
‍
- Rapid Response: Average response times of under three minutes.
- Operational Efficiency: Drones respond to more than 65% of emergency calls in DFR zones, significantly enhancing responder safety and mission success.
- Expanded Capabilities: DedroneBeyond enables continuous, multi-altitude operations.

‍Real-World Impact:In one scenario, a 911 call reported a teen experiencing a mental health crisis who was possibly armed. The drone arrived first and confirmed the teen was holding a cellphone, not a weapon. Ground units adjusted their approach, resulting in a peaceful resolution. The drone also identified a nearby vehicle containing firearms, further informing the response.