Live Remote 5G DFR Demonstration - Patrol-Led Drone as First Responder (DFR)

Deepu John joined Skydio as a Solutions Engineer in 2021. In this role, he collaborates with account executives and the sales team to conduct equipment demonstrations, technical validations, and proofs of concept. Deepu is widely recognized for his expertise in the use of drones in law enforcement.

Before joining Skydio, Deepu served 20 years in the New York City Police Department. During his tenure, he held the position of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Coordinator within the Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU). His responsibilities included managing the technical and regulatory aspects of the NYPD's UAS program, researching new technologies, and establishing training standards and curriculum for UAS pilots. He also served as the program's Chief UAS Pilot. Deepu has earned the rank of Detective Second Grade in the NYPD and has received several awards and commendations from his work in technical investigations and electronic surveillance.

Deepu has served as a member of the faculty at the NYPD Criminal Investigator’s Course. He has also served as an advisor to the FAA’s Unmanned Traffic Management working group and the Droneresponders Major Cities Working Group. Deepu has served at the State University of New York, Albany’s National Center for Security and Preparedness as a UAS instructor.

Through his role at Skydio, Deepu continues to work closely with public safety and law enforcement agencies across the country to unlock the potential of drones to make the work of law enforcement agencies safer and more effective.

William "Fritz" Reber retired as a Police Captain after 27 years of service with Chula Vista Police Department. After his retirement he worked with public safety and service providers related to UAS operations. He (with Kabe Termes) was the visionary behind Drone as First Responder (DFR) Operations and Live911, author of CVPD's Concept of Operations IPP submission, and co-authored the CVPD BVLOS waiver. This was the first FAA Beyond Visual Line of Sight waiver for any public safety agency operating in an urban environment in the nation). He and his Skydio Team, in partnership with CVPD and the San Diego IPP Team wrote the safety case for and obtained the groundbreaking Tactical BVLOS waiver. This enabled Close Proximity, Low Altitude (CPLA) operations for Public Safety Agencies and others to safely fly BVLOS during ground based tactical deployments.

Fritz remains a part of the San Diego City IPP Team, is a DRONERESPONDERS Technical Expert (TEP), and he continues to work closely with CVPD and public safety agencies everywhere on the integration of Skydio 2 into everyday police operations. He is the visionary and co-inventor w/Higherground, of Live911.

Live911 is a revolutionary software tool that allows first responders to hear in real time the actual audio of the incoming 911 call. It has been integrated with RapidSOs and provides a map UI for first responders who can hear the call and see the exact caller location instantly while in the field. Never before has public safety had such real-time situational awareness sent to the front lines without any time delay or data decay.

Head of Public Safety Integration at Skydio:

Fritz works to show Public Safety Agencies the value of a drone that is designed not to crash. The transformational object avoidance technology of Skydio means that more people can utilize the power of a UAS to provide situational awareness and decision quality data to first responders in the field. The feedback and input he gets from end-users is used in product improvements and development with the goal to help make Skydio the best drone company in the world.

Jason LaFond is a technology leader with eighteen years of law enforcement experience and a retired Detective with the New York City Police Department who values dedication, service, and excellence. With his new role at Skydio as a Customer Success Manager, Jason is responsible for ensuring his customer's drone programs are successful using Skydio's products and services.

Working in the NYPD's Information Technology Bureau, he managed several initiatives, including the mobility project, where he was the project manager for installing over 3000 tablets in the Department's response vehicles.

As the program manager of the NYPD's Body-Worn Camera Program, Jason brought the Department from zero cameras in 2017 to the largest deployment in the world, with over 25,000 cameras in 158 Commands. Jason is a certified New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services general topics instructor and CEW instructor from Axon.

NYPD awarded Jason a Commendation Medal, Meritorious Police Duty, and Unit Citation. In 2010 he was awarded a Certificate of Merit and Life Saving Award from the Irvington (NY) Police Department.

Jason has provided expert testimony in criminal proceedings as a subject matter expert with body-worn cameras, in-car video, interview room systems, and digital evidence. He is also FAA Part 107 certified as a commercial drone pilot and a Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security's Emergence Program graduate.