St. Cloud police are taking public safety to the skies with the launch of Central Florida's first Drone as First Responder program.

It's a system officials say is already cutting down response times and giving officers crucial information within seconds.

Police Chief Douglas Goerke said the drones can be airborne in less than 20 seconds, providing real-time visuals to dispatchers and officers headed to emergencies.

"Seconds matter, lives matter," Goerke said. "That's exactly why we are doing this program."

The department demonstrated the technology Tuesday, showing how trained officers launch drones from automated rooftop stations placed across the city.

One drone is stationed at police headquarters, another at City Hall, and additional drone docks are scheduled to be installed in the

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