Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Naperville plans to put drones into use soon, although it’s unclear so far exactly how, when or where it will be done.

The city last month spent $1,200 on a drone for the fire department. But policy issues need to be considered before drones are activated by the city.

… city resident Todd Peterson, supports the devices’ use for public safety purposes. Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis emphasized the productive purposes for which the drone will be used and said significant restrictions are in place.

“In weather events where we have flooding situations and it’s very unsafe to send somebody near an area of the river, we could sent a drone – certainly not in a public area,” Puknaitis said, adding that the implements’ overhead surveillance functions also can be of great help in search and rescue operations. “Under other fire operational conditions, maybe collapses, other situations like that, we could see using this. … This not anything more than an additional tool to be used under very specific applications.”