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.”
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.
