Local public-safety leadership, shared data and regional partnerships are creating a model for responsible drone deployment across Ohio. The use of drones is accelerating across Northeast Ohio. The Lyndhurst and Highland Heights police departments recently launched coordinated drone programs to support missing-person searches, suspect tracking, emergency response, accident reconstruction and crime-scene documentation. Their investments join a growing network of public-safety drone capabilities across Cuyahoga County and the region.
Police departments in Westlake, Garfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Lakewood, Rocky River and now recently Amherst have invested in Drone-as-a-First-Responder capabilities. These programs allow drones to be deployed rapidly in response to emergency calls, providing real-time aerial information to dispatchers, command personnel and responding officers. By arriving at an incident before—or alongside—ground personnel, a Drone-as-a-First-Responder program can help:
- Improve situational awareness before officers enter a scene
- Locate missing or endangered individuals
- Track fleeing suspects
- Assess traffic accidents and crime scenes
- Support search-and-rescue operations
- Reduce unnecessary risk to officers and residents
- Improve response coordination and resource deployment
- Support de-escalation through better information
Cuyahoga County: Providing Regional Leadership
With support from Cuyahoga County, local police departments are demonstrating how communities can introduce advanced drone technology through collaboration, responsible policies and shared regional resources. Cuyahoga County’s leadership helps connect individual municipal investments to a broader public-safety and air-mobility strategy. This approach recognizes that drones do not operate within isolated municipal boundaries. Police, fire, emergency medical, healthcare and commercial aircraft may all share the same low-altitude airspace.
By supporting coordination among municipalities, public-safety agencies, technology providers and community partners, Cuyahoga County is creating a practical model that other counties and communities across Ohio can follow.
A Growing Regional Drone Environment
Public-safety programs are only one part of Northeast Ohio’s rapidly developing drone environment. Cleveland Clinic has launched prescription-medication deliveries with Zipline in and around Beachwood. Amazon is also preparing to operate its Prime Air delivery drones from its North Randall fulfillment center. These operations will increasingly share regional airspace with police and fire drones, news and hospital helicopters, general aviation aircraft and other government and commercial operators. As more organizations invest in drones, the region will need more than aircraft and trained pilots. It will need trusted information, cybersecurity awareness, coordinated planning, responsible operating policies and strong public-private partnerships.
Cleveland’s Drone-Readiness Resources
Northeast Ohio organizations do not have to build their drone capabilities alone. A growing Cleveland-area ecosystem can provide the information, expertise and partnerships needed to plan, launch and strengthen drone programs.
NEOFIX: Supplemental Data for Safer Operations
The Northeast Ohio Flight Information Exchange—NEOFIX—provides authoritative state and local supplemental data to drone operators, public-safety agencies and participating organizations. NEOFIX can help users develop a clearer understanding of local conditions that may affect a mission, including:
- Public-safety incidents and emergency activity
- Community events and temporary operating conditions
- Local hazards and ground-based risks
- Sensitive locations and critical infrastructure
- Relevant state and local information
- Potential activity by other regional airspace users
This shared information creates a more complete operating picture and can help participating organizations make better-informed flight decisions while supporting operational security, privacy and public safety.
Critical Ops: Cyber Awareness and Drone Mission Support
Every public-safety drone is also a connected data system. Drone programs combine aircraft, cameras, sensors, communications networks, flight-management software and potentially sensitive operational information. Critical Ops provides remote-sensing expertise, cyber-threat awareness and drone mission support that can help organizations:
- Evaluate potential drone missions
- Develop operational concepts and procedures
- Identify technology and data risks
- Strengthen cyber awareness
- Protect sensitive mission information
- Integrate drones into existing public-safety operations
- Build partnerships for specialized missions and capabilities
Cybersecurity and responsible data management should be incorporated at the beginning of every drone program—not added after the system is already operating.
Manufacturing Works: Connecting the Regional Ecosystem
Manufacturing Works serves as an ecosystem connector, bringing together public agencies, manufacturers, technology providers, educational institutions and other public- and private-sector partners. Through this network, organizations can access:
- Drone, sensor and communications expertise
- Manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities
- Cybersecurity and data-management resources
- Pilot training and workforce-development partners
- Public-safety and government relationships
- Research, education and technology partners
- Policy, governance and community-engagement resources
- Opportunities for pilot projects and public-private collaboration
This ecosystem helps a police department or other organization move from purchasing a drone to building a complete, sustainable and mission-ready program.
From Individual Programs to Regional Infrastructure
Police Departments and Emergency Management Operations demonstrate the growing public-safety demand for drone technology in the region. The goal of NEOFIX, Critical Ops and Manufacturing Works is to connect these individual investments through shared information, coordinated planning, cyber-aware operating practices and regional partnerships.
With Cuyahoga County providing leadership—and NEOFIX, Critical Ops, Manufacturing Works and other regional partners providing supporting capabilities—Northeast Ohio is establishing an economic development framework and model for responsible drone deployment across the State of Ohio. This regional approach will:
- Strengthen public and first-responder safety
- Improve coordination across municipal boundaries
- Protect operational information and community privacy
- Support responsible public and commercial drone growth
- Create demand for locally developed technology and services
- Build new manufacturing and technology career pathways
- Position Northeast Ohio as a leader in advanced air mobility
Whether an organization is considering its first drone, establishing a Drone-as-a-First-Responder program, training pilots, developing policies, protecting operational data or expanding an existing capability, Northeast Ohio already has resources that can help.
Soaring to new heights, together.
Be sure to visit the BWU Technology Partnerships Initiative website to learn more about how our NEOFIX program drives economic growth, promotes policy and infrastructure to improve drone safety and efficiency in various industries, and ensures that drone technology is being used responsibly.