Skyfire AI to Manage Ohio’s Drone as First Responder Program

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has selected SkyfireAI to serve as program manager for the Ohio Drone First Responder (DFR) Pilot Program. According to a press release from Skyfire AI, the company will collaborate with ODOT’s unmanned traffic management software partner CAL Analytics on “the first statewide deployment of DFR technology in the United States.”

Skyfire AI will join a two-year pilot program to "evaluate how drones can improve situational awareness, reduce emergency response times, and enhance the safety of first responders across law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies.” Specifically, the Ohio DFR Pilot Program “will equip municipalities with advanced drone systems, deliver comprehensive training for first responders, and enable FAA-approved Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations. 

In its role as program manager, Skyfire AI will “will oversee every phase of the pilot—from coordinating with vendors and municipalities to select and install rooftop drone systems, to ensuring compliance with FAA regulations, to training operators on best practices for DFR deployment.”

Commenting on the announcement, Don Mathis, Co-Founder and CEO SkyfireAI, said, “We commend Ohio’s vision in creating the nation’s first statewide DFR program, and we are honored to be entrusted with managing its execution. 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.”

Source: Press Release