A First for the Nation
The State of Ohio has announced a milestone for public safety innovation: the launch of the first statewide Drone First Responder (DFR) program in the United States. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), through its DriveOhio UAS Center, has selected SkyfireAI to serve as program manager, with CAL Analytics acting as lead technical integrator.
Created under House Bill 96, the two-year pilot program is designed to evaluate how drones can be used to improve situational awareness, reduce response times, and enhance safety for law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies statewide.
“Ohio’s statewide DFR program isn’t just a first — it’s the blueprint,” said Don Mathis, Co-Founder and CEO of SkyfireAI. “By unifying policy, training, and technology under one roof, Ohio is making DFR accessible to every community, especially rural departments that could never justify a standalone program. This is how we scale safe autonomy, save minutes, and save lives.”
Legislative and State Leadership
The program represents a new way of thinking about public safety drone use—moving from isolated agency pilots to coordinated statewide systems. Representative Bernie “Bunyan” Willis, Chair of the Ohio House Transportation Committee, praised the initiative as a continuation of the state’s aviation legacy.
“Ohio is proving once again that we are the HOME of aviation and at the forefront of aviation innovation,” said Rep. Willis. “By launching the first statewide Drone First Responder program, we are showing how unmanned aerial systems can enhance public safety, accelerate emergency response, and strengthen our communities. This program is not just about technology—it’s about saving lives and setting the standard for the rest of the nation.”
Richard Fox, Director of the DriveOhio UAS Center, noted that the project builds on more than a decade of leadership in drone integration. “By launching the nation’s first statewide Drone First Responder initiative, we are not only giving first responders tools to save lives and protect communities, but also setting a model for how states can safely integrate drone technology at scale,” Fox said.
SkyfireAI’s Program Management Role
As program manager, SkyfireAI will coordinate with municipalities and vendors to install rooftop drone systems, ensure compliance with FAA regulations, and provide training for operators. The company has extensive experience running municipal DFR programs, supporting medical drone delivery initiatives, and conducting disaster response operations with national partners such as CVS Health.
“SkyfireAI is actively developing the next generation of autonomy and AI to support multi-ship DFR operations,” said Justin McCarthy, VP Partnerships at SkyfireAI. “Our goal is to extend these capabilities to communities of every size—especially rural areas that may not have the resources to sustain traditional drone programs. By leveraging intelligent coordination and AI-driven decision support, a single operator, or no pilot at all, could eventually oversee multiple aircraft, expanding coverage, reducing response times, and delivering life-saving situational awareness where it’s needed most.”
SkyfireAI’s work in artificial intelligence and autonomy will help push the boundaries of what statewide systems can achieve. By incorporating automated hazard detection, rapid damage assessment, and AI-driven resource allocation, the program aims to demonstrate how technology can scale to provide 24/7 coverage and support beyond the limits of single-agency programs.
CAL Analytics and UTM Integration
CAL Analytics will support the effort as technical integrator, building out a statewide Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) system. This system will connect participating agencies to shared services designed to deconflict drone operations, monitor airspace, and enable safe coordination across multiple operators. Airspace monitoring sensors will also provide situational awareness for DFR pilots by detecting nearby aircraft.
Next Steps
Over the next two years, the Ohio DFR Pilot Program will equip municipalities with drone systems, deliver training to first responders, and enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations under FAA approval. Standardized procedures and transparent data collection will help establish best practices and measure the impact of statewide DFR operations.
Ohio’s decision to implement the nation’s first statewide DFR program signals a shift in how states view drone technology. By moving beyond local pilots to scalable systems, Ohio is creating a model that may inspire similar initiatives across the country.
Learn more about SkyfireAI at: www.skyfireai.com
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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