"It's also a great tool for de-escalation, and our response times are going to increase drastically," Lieutenant Josh Richards, who oversees the program, told Action News.
Two drones are in service as of Wednesday, and Action News got a behind-the-scenes look at how they operate.
The simulation played out in the department's new Real-Time Information Center, also unveiled to the public on Wednesday.
The live feed from the drone appeared within seconds of it taking off.
"We have our pilot in there, we have our analysts in there," Richards said. "They both have access to the radio, so they can put out information over the radio - descriptions of suspects, things like that, to the officers."
Unlike the department's other drones, the Drone First Responders will be pre-positioned across the city to reduce flight times.
That means pilots can be miles away without a line of sight. They will fly several hundred feet in the air, making them barely noticeable to those below.
"What about the concerns, chief, that these drone first responders could be used as surveillance tools?" Action News asked Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming.
"You can hear it from me, recorded, that will not occur," Fleming said.
The chief vows that flight logs will be public, posted online within two hours, and show the flight path and type of call.
"As chief, why do you feel that type of transparency is necessary in this case?" Action News asked Fleming.
"Me personally, as a citizen, I don't want the government or somebody else flying over my house and spying into it," Chief Fleming said.
The chief is hopeful the new tools will better serve residents.
"We're providing our officers with real information that's going on," Chief Fleming said, "potentially saving us from having to escalate or use force that we don't need to use."
For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.