Sunny Isles Beach won a statewide technology award for its police drone program, the city announced Friday, Aug. 28.

The Florida Local Government Information Systems Association (FLGISA) gave the city its 2026 Technology Excellence Award for Innovative Use of Technology to Serve the Public. The city said on X the award recognizes the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department's Drone as First Responder (DFR) program and its use of technology to enhance public safety.

The program launched in July 2025. The city called it the first fully operational law enforcement drone program in Florida.

The DFR unit uses Skydio X10 drones operated by FAA-certified officers. The drones respond to emergency calls ahead of patrol units, giving officers a live aerial view of a scene before they arrive on the ground.

Mayor Larisa Svechin spotlighted the program in her State of the City address in January, saying the department was the first law enforcement agency in Florida to implement a fully operational Drone as First Responder program. She called the safety of residents the city's top priority and said the integration of new technology within the police department had already proven successful.

The drone unit has expanded beyond emergency response. In July, the department tested a separate drone capable of dropping a flotation tube to swimmers in distress. The department said that drone can be deployed around the clock and reach a swimmer in less than a minute.

Lt. Melissa Porro told WPLG Local 10 in a July 15 report that officers had responded to 78 beach rescues between Jan. 1 and July 15.

The FLGISA presented separate awards to the cities of Tarpon Springs and Dania Beach in other technology categories. No details on the award ceremony or selection process were publicly available as of Saturday, Aug. 29.