Public Safety Toolbox
Public safety · Toolbox

Public Safety Toolbox

Quick tools for agency drone teams. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

First Responder Owned · Veteran Led
Tools

Work it out in a minute.

Tool 01

Which waiver path fits?

1. Is your agency a political subdivision (city, county, township, state or tribe)?
2. Is its main job public safety (police, fire, EMS, SAR, emergency management)?
3. Can most flights stay at or below 200 ft, near buildings and terrain?

Answer the questions to see your likely path.

The four paths are below. Match yours with the “fits if” line.

Fits if: Political subdivision + public safety + stays at or below 200 ft

Part 91 public-safety waiver, 200 ft shielded

Fly at or below 200 ft AGL, or within 100 ft of a structure, with ADS-B In. About 87% of applicants pick this version. Typically days, not months, once the package is clean.

Package: counsel’s Public Declaration Letter, FAA Form 7711-2, the initialed checklist and a Concept of Operations. Controlled airspace still needs CAPS or COA authorization.

Fits if: Political subdivision + public safety + needs up to 400 ft

Part 91 public-safety waiver, 400 ft

The 400 ft version of the same waiver. It needs detect-and-avoid. Same package: declaration letter, Form 7711-2, checklist, ConOps.

Fits if: Public safety, but not a political subdivision (independent volunteer fire company, nonprofit SAR, private EMS)

Part 107 PSO shielded waiver

One bundle waives §107.31 (line of sight), §107.39 (over people) and §107.145 (over moving vehicles). BVLOS within one statute mile of the pilot, 200 ft or less in Class G, emergency call-outs only. ADS-B In and Standard Remote ID required. Apply in FAADroneZone with a PSO letter and a ConOps. Expect weeks.

Fits if: Not primarily public safety (utilities, inspection, security, public works)

Standard Part 107 waiver

A full safety case for §107.31 through FAADroneZone. Expect weeks to months. DJI’s Dock 3 waiver templates are the technical core. Part 108 may replace much of this, but it is not law yet.

Details and the ten steps: FAA waivers & BVLOS.

Township fire districts are usually political subdivisions; independent volunteer companies usually are not. Planning help only. Not legal advice or an FAA authorization.

Tool 02

Dock 3 site readiness

Ten things that can stop an install day.

0 of 10 done

Your ticks stay in this browser only. Nothing is sent to us.

Tool 03

DFR coverage estimator

How fast a docked drone reaches a call, and how long it can stay.

3:35flight to scene
7:09out and back
25–31min on scene, est.

At the 2 to 3 mile planning radius.

Distance Flight to scene On scene, est.
1 mi 1:47 29–34 min
2 mi 3:35 25–31 min
3 mi 5:22 22–27 min
5 mi 8:56 14–20 min

Straight line at 15 m/s (Matrice 4TD normal mode), no wind, launch time not counted. On-scene time assumes 60–70% of the 54-minute lab maximum, minus the trip out and back. Most DFR programs plan on calls within 2 to 3 miles of a dock; past 3 miles, plan a second dock. Sources: DJI specs; ODR Dock 3 Field Academy.

Tool 04

NDAA: what can we fly?

Three questions about who’s buying and who’s paying.

1. Who is buying?
2. Does a federal grant pay for any of it?
3. Ohio public entity buying on or after Oct 6, 2030?

Answer all three to see what applies.

Each case is below. Match yours with the “if” line.

If: Federal or Department of Defense buyer

Blue UAS rules may apply

Blue UAS rules apply to Department of Defense purchases. Other federal buyers: check your agency’s procurement rules.

If: A federal grant pays for any of it, or you are not sure

Read the grant terms first

Federal grants can limit which manufacturers you may buy. Example: the DOJ COPS Technology and Equipment Program (FY2026) requires aircraft on the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List. Check before you pick an aircraft.

If: Ohio public entity buying on or after Oct 6, 2030

Ohio’s 2030 purchase rule

From Oct 6, 2030, Ohio public entities may not buy, spend state funds on, or fly a drone made by a registry-listed country that was bought on or after that date (R.C. 5501.84, from H.B. 251). Aircraft bought before then are not covered. The rule yields where federal law allows the aircraft.

If: None of the above

No funding rule found here

Your funding doesn’t add a manufacturer rule in this check. Your agency’s own policy might. Compare the options on our NDAA page.

More: NDAA & Blue UAS guide. Planning help only. Not legal advice. Confirm with your counsel and grant officer. Sources: ODR NDAA guide; DOJ COPS FY2026 TEP NOFO; Ohio H.B. 251.

Tool 05

Buying on a PO

Everything a purchase order needs in one pass, so a quote comes back without a round trip.

Agency purchasing

Send POs and tax-exempt certificates to AR@ohiodronerepair.com.

Tool 06

Community

Ohio groups for public safety drone teams.

DRONERESPONDERS Ohio (OHGRU)
Statewide public safety UAS coordination group. Free for eligible members; monthly meetings.

LEDA Ohio Chapter
Ohio chapter of the Law Enforcement Drone Association.

Independent organizations, not affiliated with Ohio Drone Repair.

Straight-down drone view of a commercial site and parking lot, Ohio (Ohio Drone Repair video)
Contact

Need a hand with the numbers?

We’ll check your sites, airspace and funding rules with you.

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gov@ohiodronerepair.com · Buying on a PO

Ohio Drone Repair is a dba of Ohio UAV Services LLC, 2236 N Cleveland Massillon Rd, Akron, OH. Trademarks belong to their owners. Specs are the manufacturers’ own, under their test conditions; figures are as reported in the sources named. Not legal advice or an FAA authorization. Photos and video are Ohio Drone Repair’s own unless credited.