Both Sedalia Fire Chief Matt Irwin and Police Chief David Woolery made pitches last week for a line item in next year’s budget funding the purchase of first response drones.

The two chiefs included the drones in their strategic planning presentations made during the most recent Sedalia City Council meeting. City administrator Kelvin Shaw says the drones would help prepare emergency crews for what to expect as they arrive at the scene of a call.

A demonstration video was shown of a drone in action responding to a call at a Jefferson City intersection. Shaw says their goal is to reduce response times.

Both agencies included another request for an Opticon system that would allow emergency vehicles to trigger traffic signals and allow them to cross intersections quicker. Shaw says Sedalia’s city council has received this request the past two years but did not list it as a high enough priority to budget.

The Sedalia City Council will review all priority lists from department heads at a budget retreat Jan. 11. The city’s fiscal year begins April 1.