As I converse with Blake Resnick, he navigates his drone startup’s latest office in Seattle—a spacious 50,000-square-foot facility that Resnick anticipates won’t be completely operational until later this year—possibly November. Nevertheless, the large (and currently somewhat vacant) space signifies the potential of a rapidly expanding company focused on dominating its specific sector.

The sector in focus is public safety and the startup at hand is Brinc, which markets drones to law enforcement and public agencies throughout the U.S. The company aims to be the “DJI of the West,” as Resnick describes it—a reference to the Chinese drone producer and an indication that Resnick aspires for Brinc to be equally associated with the technology it provides.

A former Thiel Fellow—a prestigious initiative that supports young entrepreneurs in bypassing or delaying college—Resnick established Brinc in 2017 and soon after attracted interest from then-OpenAI founder Sam Altman, who eventually became one of Brinc’s initial seed investors. Since that time, Brinc has participated in several funding rounds and, according to Resnick, was valued at nearly half a billion dollars during its latest round.

On Tuesday, Brinc introduced its latest creation, a public safety drone named Guardian that Resnick claims is “the closest thing to a police helicopter replacement that the drone industry has ever produced.” Brinc asserts it is the world’s “most capable 9-11 response drone” to date.

Guardian certainly boasts impressive specifications and features. The drone can achieve speeds of up to 60 mph and offers a flight duration of 62 minutes, according to its developer. It is also equipped with thermal imaging cameras and two additional 4K cameras—all featuring zoom functions. “Even from a considerable height, a police department could capture details like license plate information,” Resnick shares. Moreover, it is fitted with a spotlight and a loudspeaker that surpasses the volume of a police siren.

The drone’s landing station, which Brinc refers to as a “charging nest,” enables fully automated battery replacement and can be stocked with essential safety equipment such as defibrillators, flotation devices, and Narcan, all without human assistance.

Guardian also includes a Starlink panel integrated directly into its structure, marking it, as per Brinc, the first public safety drone with such a feature. Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, provides the drone with connectivity anywhere in the world. “Starlink has never been incorporated into a commercially available quadcopter before, so [it] grants this airframe limitless range globally,” Resnick explains.

Resnick evidently identifies public safety as a significant opportunity. “There are approximately 20,000 police departments in the United States, 30,000 fire departments, and 80,000 police and fire stations—and we believe the top half of that market will likely have a 911 response drone stationed in a recharging nest on the roof in the future,” he states. “It indeed seems like we are looking at a $6 billion to $8 billion market opportunity,” he adds, evaluating markets in both the U.S. and globally.

In this vein, Brinc recently collaborated with the National League of Cities on an initiative to expand “drone as first responder” programs in communities nationwide—a strategy that will undoubtedly help cultivate relationships between the startup and potential customer communities.

Moreover, Resnick believes that recent geopolitical shifts have benefitted his company. Until recently, DJI maintained an unofficial monopoly over the global drone market—including the U.S., where safety agencies have traditionally depended on the products of the Chinese firm. However, the Trump administration recently prohibited the entry of foreign-made drone models into the country, thereby unlocking a vast potential market.

“There exists a significant need for a DJI of the West, or a premier drone manufacturer for the free world, and ultimately, that is what we aspire to be,” Resnick states.