In support of America's first responders, Skydio Inc. has launched two initiatives to provide first responders with drones and personal protection equipment (PPE).

Through the first initiative, known as the Skydio Emergency Response Program (ERP), Skydio will donate dozens of its Skydio 2 drones and associated equipment to public safety agencies across the country. Participating agencies will also have access to Skydio's in-house experts for training and support at no cost. 

Skydio says that it had planned to release the ERP to help with disaster relief later this year, but the company decided to make the program available immediately to meet the needs of public safety agencies dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic. 

“We know the value that drones provide to public safety. Although fully hand-flown drones are helpful, drones with advanced autonomy features provide exceptional value, allowing officers to fly without fear of crashing into objects while enhancing situational awareness,” explains Fritz Reber, Skydio's head of Public Safety Integration and a 27 year veteran of the Chula Vista police department and former SWAT team leader.

“With the rapid spread of COVID19, public safety agencies now face unprecedented challenges, and we want to do our part to support those who put themselves in harm's way to protect us all.”

Having already donated Skydio drones to several agencies, the ERP plans to partner with dozens of additional agencies in the upcoming weeks. Skydio's UAS provide immediate tactical support for fire and police professionals, which allows them to safely gain close-up situational awareness using Skydio's advanced collision avoidance technology. This not only reduces the risk to first responders, but also allows useful information that could save lives to be gained quickly.

As part of its second initiative, Skydio has also announced that it has facilitated the delivery of more than one million pieces of medical PPE to healthcare workers responding to the current COVID-19 crisis. Consisting of medical grade masks, gloves, gowns, and face shields sourced from all over the world, the equipment was delivered to the University of Washington Hospital System.

The PPE was sourced and secured by a nonprofit called Frontline Support. Started and staffed by volunteers based in Silicon Valley, the nonprofit was created specifically to help source, vet, provide quality assurance for, and distribute PPE for emergency workers in response to the COVID-19 epidemic.

“This is an 'all hands on deck' moment for companies in the US and all over the world to contribute whatever we can to help our healthcare workers and first responders,” says Adam Bry, co-founder and CEO of Skydio.

“We're happy to provide Frontline Support with our technical and supply chain resources and to show our nation's first responders that we have their backs by providing free drones and PPE during this crucial period.”