This week’s news roundup looks at a new partnership to help integrate drone programs into real-time crime prevention services, an update to the Blue UAS List, and a new drone delivery partnership. 

DRONERESPONDERS Enters Operational Agreement with The National Real Time Crime Center Association

The UAS public safety group, DRONERESPONDERS has officially entered into a national operations agreement with The National Time Crime Center Association to help accelerate the adoption and integration of Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs in emergency response agencies all over the United States.

The two organizations will establish a working group with the common goal of developing and sharing best practices for integrating DFR programs with real-time crime center operations. They will focus on policy development, governance, staffing, and more.

This announcement was made on March 12 at the DRONERESPONDERS National Conference at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. This event is designed to be a gathering place for leaders in public safety, UAS, and technology sectors to converge and share ideas. 

The Defense Contract Management System to be Responsible for Blue UAS Cleared List

The Blue UAS Cleared List has shifted management from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which was created in 2020, to the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The goal with this shift is to embed the program more deeply into everyday defense procurement rather than treating it as a standalone resource.

DCMA's longer-term vision is to move away from the idea that the list is a static roster and rather adapt it into an active marketplace where government buyers can quickly access approved systems and components without going through repeated individual approval processes. This transition is set to help the Pentagon's broader Drone Dominance strategy and is expected to speed up the delivery of compliant hardware to military units.

GrubHub and Dexa Bring Drone Delivery to New Jersey

Interest in drone food delivery services continues to rise. Delivery service provider GrubHub has partnered with Dexa, a drone technology and logistics company, for a three-month pilot program to bring drone delivery to Green Brook, New Jersey. As part of the trial, customers do not have to pay an extra delivery fee for aerial delivery, but they must be within the 2.5 mile radius of the Green Brook location.

Dexa will provide the aerial delivery service with their DE-2020 drone which is fully automated to lower orders onto the ground with a cable. The company is one of four U.S. companies that builds and flies their own drones for delivery services. There will be a public demonstration on March 16th before the launch so the public can see first-hand what this service looks like.