AFRS Firefighters at Drone as First Responder Event

09/24/2025

Springfield, OH

On January 24, one of the board members from AFRS headed to Springfield, Ohio for the Drone as First Responder event hosted by ODOT and leaders in Ohio’s drone space. It wasn’t about buzzwords — it was about real people in public safety figuring out how to use DFR technology to save lives.

Firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, and emergency managers from across Ohio came together under one roof. We saw live demos, swapped stories from the field, and talked about amazing technology enhancing public safety operations.

OH-Representative Willis stayed with us the entire day. He listened, asked questions, and showed genuine support for first responders and technology that improves our ability to safeguard Ohio. That kind of leadership matters.

At AFRS, we’re not just talking about drones — we’re building and flying them. We’ve been developing:

• Counter-UAS systems to keep skies safe over emergency scenes

• Shared drone services that small towns can actually afford

• Live comms and streaming that plug straight into command centers

We design everything with the same mindset we bring to the fire-ground: it has to work when things are chaotic, and it has to make the job easier — not harder.

Ohio is the Birthplace of Aviation, and being in Springfield, it felt like we were standing on the shoulders of that history. The Wright brothers dreamed about flight right here in Ohio. Today, we’re figuring out how to use flight to protect our neighbors, respond faster, and keep our crews safer.

This wasn’t just another conference. It was a reminder that Ohio is leading the way in unmanned aviation, and AFRS is proud to see so many great organizations throughout Ohio using technology to enhance their existing public safety offerings.

----

AFRS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fire, search, and rescue organization operating under the authority of ORC 9.60. We are authorized to provide shared emergency services to any government agency in Ohio and are a registered FEMA disaster services provider.

Our mission is primarily funded by private donors. To support AFRS through tax-deductible giving, please visit: https://afrs.us/giving