How New York City Agencies Are Using Drones to Assess Structurally Unsafe Buildings

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday morning that a Manhattan high-rise has shown no structural movement since damage was detected Tuesday, allaying earlier fears among city officials that the building could collapse. Before sending any personnel inside, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) deployed small drones to conduct reconnaissance and assess the extent of the damage.

FDNY and Department of Buildings Deploy Drones Jointly

"While waiting for the materials needed to stabilize the building's structure, engineers from the NYC Department of Buildings have been conducting inspections using FDNY drones," Mayor Mamdani said at a Tuesday press conference. Bystanders captured footage of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating overhead.

NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani told reporters that workers were closely monitoring the building's "critical points of damage," emphasizing that FDNY's drones were "essential for observing and tracking structural movement." In a social media post, FDNY stated that the aircraft "provided technical data and visual imagery to all cooperating agencies throughout the assessment."

The New York Times reported that overnight, the NYPD's Technical Assistance Response Unit deployed a separate drone to circle the building, capturing footage of two hard-hatted workers inspecting floors 20 and 21, where a support beam buckle had reportedly occurred.

NYPD Drone Program Expands Rapidly

Since its establishment in 2018, the NYPD drone unit has grown substantially. According to the department's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Operations Report, the unit recorded just 23 deployments in Q4 2019. By Q1 2026, that figure had surpassed 2,500 — though it represented a decrease of nearly 300 deployments compared to the previous quarter.

According to a 2024 press release, NYPD has used drones to search collapsed structures and reconstruct interior floor plans using 360-degree imagery. Earlier that same year, following a magnitude-4.8 earthquake, the department dispatched UAVs to inspect bridges and buildings for damage.

The NYPD cites several advantages of its drone program: faster deployment, enhanced situational awareness, improved officer safety, and significantly lower operating costs compared to helicopters. The drones are equipped with night vision, thermal imaging, and high-resolution cameras capable of supporting search-and-rescue operations and other investigative missions.

FDNY Robotics Unit: 11 Years of Service, 50 Drones

The New York Post reported this year that FDNY's robotics unit, now 11 years old, has 12 pilots operating approximately 50 drones and four quadruped robot dogs. Officials consider the UAVs' thermal imaging capabilities especially valuable, including for evaluating structural weaknesses in buildings.

"We still send firefighters up to find out what the actual conditions of the roof are," Captain Michael Leo, head of the robotics unit, told the New York Post, "but now we can also look down at the entire roof from 200 feet above the fire and get thermal data on the roof surface."

Drone as First Responder (DFR) Program

The NYPD's Technical Assistance Response Unit introduced DJI quadcopter drones in 2018, making New York one of more than 1,000 police departments nationwide with an active drone program. The initial procurement included 11 Mavic Pros, two M210 RTKs, and one Inspire 1.

Early deployments focused on search and rescue, crime scene documentation, and monitoring traffic and crowds at large events. Drones are explicitly prohibited from use in routine patrols, traffic enforcement, warrantless surveillance, or as weapons or weapon platforms.

In late 2024, under then-Mayor Eric Adams, New York City launched its Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, further expanding the fleet — deploying two drones to each of five pilot precincts and pushing NYPD's total drone count past 100. Mayor Mamdani has continued the program.

The DFR initiative was made possible after NYPD secured FAA Part 107 authorization to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations without ground-based visual observers. The waiver permits "shielded operations" — flights below 100 feet above ground or within 50 feet of structures — providing the regulatory framework for building inspection missions.

According to NYPD's Q1 2026 UAS Operations Report, more than 2,000 of the quarter's 2,595 deployments were DFR-related; another 225 were categorized as "public safety, emergency, or other special circumstances approved by the Police Commissioner."

Interagency Coordination and Civil Liberties Concerns

New York City is also among the first in the country to establish an interagency Drone Operations Committee, coordinating UAS activities across the NYPD, FDNY, and other city agencies. In 2024, multiple departments collaborated to monitor shark activity at city beaches.

FAA-certified NYPD officers also respond to missing persons reports, ShotSpotter gunfire detection alerts, and active crime incidents using drones.

Nationally, the rapid growth of DFR and other law enforcement drone programs has drawn increasing scrutiny. Residents in Washington, D.C., have criticized the Metropolitan Police Department's decision to introduce drones in 2025, and advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have voiced concerns about undisclosed surveillance. The ACLU has specifically called for stronger oversight of DFR "eye in the sky" programs.

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