Skydio has announced that it worked with DroneResponders to help develop the “The Five C’s: Principles for the Responsible Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies,” which was released on Monday, July 20. The principles are designed to advance the responsible and effective deployment of drones.

“We take pride in developing autonomous solutions that earn the trust of our customers,” Skydio says. “But we know it’s not enough. In order to realize the full potential of unmanned flight, the public must trust the technology, and the way it is used, as much as our customers.”

To achieve this objective, Skydio recently released the Skydio Engagement and Responsible Use Principles, which the company describes as a “groundbreaking set of policy and ethical principles to guide our work and drive the industry forward.”

“These principles capture our commitment to considering the holistic impact our products will have on communities and countries,” Skydio says.

“They also convey our core values of accountability, transparency, and the protection of privacy and civil liberties. Those values shape everything we do — from product development to customer engagement and everything in between.”

Consistent with that commitment, Skydio worked closely with DroneResponders to develop “The Five Cs: Principles on the Responsible Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies.” Skydio says that these principles “provide a pathway for agencies to demonstrate their commitment to the communities they serve and the liberties we cherish.” The company adds that this effort represents a “significant step forward” for public safety drone programs in two respects.

First, agencies developing or expanding drone programs have long needed clear guidance that is easy to understand and implement, Skydio notes. While various organizations have issued lengthy reports and model policies on public safety drone programs, not all of those materials are user friendly. Officers tasked with the responsibility of creating drone programs quickly find themselves immersed in an abundance of information, which can make it difficult to identify with certainty the core ingredients necessary to drive public acceptance and program success.

According to Skydio, the “Five C’s” deliver much-needed clarity by focusing on five fundamental concepts that every program should embody: “Community Engagement and Transparency; Civil Liberties and Privacy Protection; Common Operating Procedures; Clear Oversight and Accountability; and Cybersecurity.”

“Each principle surveys a range of relevant guidance and distills the elements critical to success. In that way, the Five C’s serve as a recipe for the relevancy and efficacy of public safety drone programs,” Skydio says.

Second, the principles also rely on recommendations made by the civil society community, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Skydio says that other guidance materials recommend consulting civil society organizations before starting a drone program, but that’s typically where it ends.

Skydio adds that the vast majority of guidance documents do not analyze materials prepared by civil society organizations. The “Five C’s” go deeper, reviewing key guidance from the civil society community and recommending tangible action. This approach enables first responders to build programs designed from the ground up to protect privacy and safeguard civil liberties, while proactively addressing concerns that members of the public and civil society organizations may raise.

“Going forward, we are committed to ensuring that the Five C’s are more than words on a page. Skydio will encourage our public safety customers to adopt the principles,” Skydio says.

“We will also incorporate the Five C’s into our training and customer support processes. And we will energetically support DroneResponders work to promote adoption of the principles around the country and the world.”