AIRT Unveils DRONERESPONDERS Ohio Public Safety Coordination Group (OHGRU) at OHCON 2025
- AIRT
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Non-profit program will unite public safety, government, and critical infrastructure operators of drones and related technologies in the Buckeye state.
COLUMBUS, OH – September 10, 2025 – AIRT, the leading 501(c)3 non-profit organization advancing the use of Drones For Good® and AAM for Good℠, today announced the DRONERESPONDERS Ohio Public Safety Coordination Group (OHGRU), a state-wide coordination group led by public safety UAS leaders with the non-profit mission of providing education, training, knowledge sharing, and emergency coordination among operators of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and related technologies within the Buckeye state.
OHGRU represents an evolution of the current public safety-related UAS working group established by first responders in across Ohio several years ago. OHGRU membership will be comprised of public safety members from law enforcement, the fire service, emergency management, transportation, and other government sectors, as well as critical infrastructure operations, the aviation industry, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders. There is no cost to become a member of OHGRU for those who meet the basic qualifications posted via OHGRU.org.
“We are extremely excited about the team we have assembled and look forward to growing the program across Ohio,” said Scott Mlakar, Co-Director of the DRONERESPONDERS Ohio Public Safety Coordination Group. “Our goal is to ensure training standards, expand stakeholder coordination, and bolster capacity for how we respond to critical incidents, emergencies, and potential catastrophes across the state.”
OHGRU’s non-profit activities will include monthly coordination group calls for members, regional training workshops, and annual conference in the Columbus area, and specialized support for stakeholders during pre-planned events and rapidly expanding incidents. OHGRU is third statewide coordination group launched by AIRT under the DRONERESPONDERS flag, joining Florida (2021) and Texas (2024).
“We are excited to be expanding the DRONERESPONDERS Coordination Group model to Ohio,” said Christopher Todd, Executive Director of AIRT. “The Ohio team team has a solid working group foundation in place. Our mission is to now formalize, expand, and connect OHGRU with the DRONERESPONDERS network of global public safety and emergency services professionals using UAS and associated technology to help improve outcomes for incidents and emergencies throughout the region, across the U.S., and around the world.”
The announcement was made at the Ohio Public Safety UAS Conference (OHCON) held at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. OHCON is enabling public safety drone professionals to explore the latest UAS technology, tactics, and mission-ready solutions.
Those interested in learning more about the DRONERESPONDERS Ohio Public Safety Coordination Group program and how they can get involved in OHGRU are invited to visit ohgru.org for additional information.
About AIRT
Based in Miami, Florida, AIRT is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization advancing the use of Drones For Good® and AAM For Good℠ for public safety, emergencies, and catastrophe management. AIRT offers a range of educational programming, training events, and mission-critical deployments that help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex emergencies and major disasters. AIRT’s programs include the Airborne International Response Team, DRONERESPONDERS®, advancing public safety UAS, and FLOGRU, TEXGRU, and OHGRU, state-level coordination group models for sharing knowledge and coordinating public safety and government drone operations. For more information, visit http://airt.ngo