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Ohio is rolling out a first-in-the-nation statewide pilot for drones as first responders.
The program helps police, fire, and EMS crews assess emergencies more quickly and safely, improving situational awareness before ground units arrive.
What is the Ohio Drones First Responders program?
The Drones for First Responders (DFR) pilot, approved under Ohio House Bill 96, is overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and managed in partnership with SkyfireAI and CAL Analytics.
The two-year pilot aims to standardize training, deployment, and operational software for drone-assisted 911 responses across multiple cities and counties.
SkyfireAI will coordinate training and operational standards, while CAL Analytics provides technical support for flight data management.
The program is especially valuable for smaller and rural agencies that lack aviation resources, allowing them to access drone support without maintaining their own fleet.
How drones are being used in Cincinnati
Cincinnati is among the early adopters of Drone as First Responder technology.
The Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) already operates a DFR program, integrating drone video feeds with dispatch systems and real-time monitoring.
When a 911 call is received, trained operators launch drones to provide live aerial footage to officers on the ground. According to CPD and WCPO, the department plans to expand coverage to 90 percent of the city by the end of 2025, starting with Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, the West End, Price Hill, and Northside.
While CPD’s program is currently local, it may coordinate with the statewide pilot in the future. Both programs aim to improve response efficiency, officer safety, and decision-making during emergencies.
Benefits of drone-assisted emergency response
Proponents of Ohio drones first responders say the program can:
- Provide faster situational awareness for emergency crews
- Allow safer responses to hazardous or unknown scenes
- Help allocate police, fire, and EMS resources more effectively
- Expand coverage to rural and low-staffed agencies
- Improve documentation and post-incident review
Research in other U.S. cities suggests drone-assisted response models can reduce response times. Ohio’s pilot seeks to achieve similar benefits, though full results will only be measurable once the program is fully operational.
Addressing privacy and oversight concerns
The DFR program has raised civil-liberty and privacy questions. Advocates emphasize the need for:
- Limits on drone deployment frequency
- Clear rules for video storage and access
- Policies to prevent “mission creep” beyond emergency response
Next steps for Ohio and Cincinnati
Full statewide operations are scheduled to begin mid-2026, with training, software integration, and networked drone traffic management provided to participating agencies.
For Cincinnati specifically, next steps include:
- Expanding launch sites across more neighborhoods
- Increasing drone coverage citywide
- Exploring additional use-cases for fire and EMS response
- Formalizing policies on data retention and community oversight
If the pilot succeeds, the Ohio drones first responders program could become a blueprint for national drone-response networks, combining statewide coordination with local deployment while maintaining privacy and safety standards.
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Sources:
- Statehouse News Bureau
- sUAS News
- Cincinnati Police Department
- WCPO
- Police1
Also read:
“Where Are All the Police?”: Cincinnati’s Public Safety Strategy Going Into 2026
