TOLEDO, Ohio — Nine Ohio public safety agencies have been selected to participate in a pilot program involving drones and emergency response, including the Toledo Police Department.
According to a press release from DriveOhio and the Ohio Department of Transportation, the selected agencies will participate in the Ohio Statewide Drone First Responder Pilot Program, an initiative designed to modernize and expand the aerial response capabilities across communities through use of the drones.
The purpose of the program is to equip organizations with technology to “improve situational awareness, enhance officer and responder safety and reduce emergency response times,” the departments said in a press release. One of the capabilities touted in the release included the drones’ ability to drop medical supplies to the scene of an emergency, even in remote areas. The drones will be equipped with real-time video streaming to command staff…