Origin Story
How DFR got its name
On September 20, 2018, Fritz Reber emailed Chula Vista PD leadership proposing a consistent name for the agency’s unique drone use case. He argued that in the age of search, the concept needed a phrase that would not be mistaken for “just another police drones” story.
He proposed Drone as First Responder (DFR) — simple, memorable, and clear about what made the model distinct: pre-positioned drones ready to respond immediately to ongoing emergencies.
That same period, Fritz, Kabe Termes, and CAPE CEO Chris Rittler settled on the name while shaping the concept of operations for Chula Vista’s partnership under the FAA Integration Pilot Program (IPP). Chief Roxana Kennedy and the Chula Vista UAS Team embraced it. Capt. Vern Sallee helped carry the program forward as operations stood up.
The first official DFR flight at Chula Vista PD was in October 2018.
Before the name: SARA and eyes and ears
DFR did not appear out of nowhere. After a neighboring city’s unrest, Fritz and Lt. Eric Thunberg helped create SARA — plainclothes officers in unmarked cars who could scout incidents early, alone, and out of the ambush profile. The insight was clear: get an experienced decision-maker to the scene first, with better information.
When Kabe Termes demonstrated remote drone operation (CAPE), Fritz saw the unmarked ground scout replaced by a ready-to-launch drone — faster, safer, and with a bird’s-eye view. That was the bridge from SARA to DFR.
In parallel — and earlier — Fritz had pioneered streaming live 911 audio and caller location to multiple users so responders could hear what was happening before arrival. That concept became Live911 (with HigherGround), tested at Chula Vista alongside DFR: if DFR is the eyes, Live911 is the ears.
The core idea
DFR is not “cops getting drones quickly on the scene.” It is a way for drones to get cops quickly on scene — with situational awareness before ground units arrive.
