School board hears informational agreement to let police base first-responder drone on district roof
March 20, 2026 | Waterford School District, School Boards, Michigan
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The Waterford School District board received an informational presentation on a revocable license agreement under which the Charter Township of Waterford would be allowed to use a roughly 3-by-3 area on a district roof and related minimal staging at a bus-garage site to host a dock for police first-responder drones.
Assistant Superintendent Hildebrandt introduced the item and Director of Safety and Security Michael Surratt and Waterford Township Police Chief Scott Underwood answered trustees questions. Chief Underwood said the township has contracted with a private vendor to provide three drones and three docks to be flown from separate locations across the township and that pilots are licensed FAA commercial operators. He said the township has obtained FAA waivers and worked with the airport tower manager on flight altitudes within the five-mile airport radius.
Trustee McGregor raised cybersecurity concerns tied to media reports about the vendor (Flock); Chief Underwood said the department uses Flock for license-plate readers and that a prior breach involved Flock Condor cameras tied to a configuration error; he said those devices are not used locally and that access to the drone mission view would be granted by a pilot via a two-factor-authenticated link only to selected officers. Underwood said the township would insure each drone and dock (he cited $1,000,000 per drone in liability insurance) and that all pilots would be FAA-certified commercial operators.
Board members pressed how the district would exercise control. President Wagner read contract language emphasizing that the district retains full property authority, may suspend use within two days written notice for noncompliance, prohibits commercial operations and expressly prohibits student surveillance unless tied to an authorized active law-enforcement purpose. The board noted the license is revocable, limited to public-safety uses (training and readiness), and that the district retains authority to require changes.
The discussion included questions about on-site logistics: Chief Underwood said the dock is compact (dock ~3 by 3, drone under 3.5 pounds; dock weighs about 140 pounds) and that viewing mission video requires a secure, pilot-provided link. Trustee McGregor and others requested confirmation that configuration and account controls would be documented and that policy 7440.03 on drone operations would be updated if the board approves a future license.
The presentation was informational; no formal vote to grant the license was recorded during this meeting. Trustees thanked the presenters and noted they appreciated the collaborative work with township and district legal counsel in drafting safeguards.
Assistant Superintendent Hildebrandt introduced the item and Director of Safety and Security Michael Surratt and Waterford Township Police Chief Scott Underwood answered trustees questions. Chief Underwood said the township has contracted with a private vendor to provide three drones and three docks to be flown from separate locations across the township and that pilots are licensed FAA commercial operators. He said the township has obtained FAA waivers and worked with the airport tower manager on flight altitudes within the five-mile airport radius.
Trustee McGregor raised cybersecurity concerns tied to media reports about the vendor (Flock); Chief Underwood said the department uses Flock for license-plate readers and that a prior breach involved Flock Condor cameras tied to a configuration error; he said those devices are not used locally and that access to the drone mission view would be granted by a pilot via a two-factor-authenticated link only to selected officers. Underwood said the township would insure each drone and dock (he cited $1,000,000 per drone in liability insurance) and that all pilots would be FAA-certified commercial operators.
Board members pressed how the district would exercise control. President Wagner read contract language emphasizing that the district retains full property authority, may suspend use within two days written notice for noncompliance, prohibits commercial operations and expressly prohibits student surveillance unless tied to an authorized active law-enforcement purpose. The board noted the license is revocable, limited to public-safety uses (training and readiness), and that the district retains authority to require changes.
The discussion included questions about on-site logistics: Chief Underwood said the dock is compact (dock ~3 by 3, drone under 3.5 pounds; dock weighs about 140 pounds) and that viewing mission video requires a secure, pilot-provided link. Trustee McGregor and others requested confirmation that configuration and account controls would be documented and that policy 7440.03 on drone operations would be updated if the board approves a future license.
The presentation was informational; no formal vote to grant the license was recorded during this meeting. Trustees thanked the presenters and noted they appreciated the collaborative work with township and district legal counsel in drafting safeguards.
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