In an interview with AirData Founder and CEO Eran Steiner, the company discusses why infrastructure, transparency, and cross-platform support are shaping the next generation of public safety drone programs.
Public safety agencies around the world are rapidly expanding their use of drones. From patrol support to search and rescue and fire assessment, unmanned aircraft are becoming a routine part of emergency response. But as these programs scale, agencies face a new challenge: managing the growing operational, regulatory, and transparency requirements that come with them.
AirData, a widely used drone flight data and fleet management platform, has announced the launch of a dedicated Public Safety Program designed to address those needs. The initiative builds on the company’s existing global platform, which supports more than 444,000 pilots across 232 countries and has logged over 60 million flights.
In an interview with DRONELIFE, AirData founder and CEO Eran Steiner explained how the program grew out of years of adoption by public safety agencies, and why the company believes infrastructure and transparency will define the next stage of drone program development.
A Platform Built on Real Public Safety Use
According to Steiner, the launch of the dedicated program did not create demand. Instead, it formalized a platform that agencies had already been using for years.
“Public safety agencies have been using AirData for over a decade: the dedicated program didn’t create the demand, it responded to it,” Steiner said. “More than 11,000 public safety pilots across 1,500 agencies and 60 regions worldwide trust the platform.”
Those agencies include some of the most visible drone programs in the United States. The Chula Vista Police Department, which launched the country’s first Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, relies on AirData’s public portal to provide searchable flight records. Other users include Sacramento Police Department, Huntsville Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Steiner says the scale of that existing user base is significant for departments just starting their own programs.
“What that means for any agency getting started today is that they’re stepping into infrastructure that’s already been proven across departments of every size,” he said. “Compliance frameworks, fleet management tools, and integrations have been built and refined through millions of real missions.”
Public safety agencies often operate under tight constraints, including limited budgets and staff time. Automating documentation and operational data collection, Steiner notes, can free personnel to focus on the mission rather than administrative tasks.
Managing Everything Around the Flight
Many drone software platforms focus primarily on flight operations themselves. AirData’s approach, Steiner says, centers on managing everything that happens before and after the aircraft is in the air.
“AirData gives fleet managers an end-to-end framework that starts before a drone takes off and provides industry-leading data insights after it lands,” he said.
That workflow includes pilot certification tracking, pre-flight inspection checklists, and authorization workflows before launch. After the mission ends, the platform automatically logs pilot hours, battery cycles, flight paths, and mission documentation.
“If there was an incident, AirData provides a detailed and reliable source of forensic data. AirData handles all of that automatically.”
For agencies running small programs or large fleets, centralizing this information can simplify operations. Whether a department operates two drones or two hundred, the same administrative requirements exist: certification tracking, maintenance monitoring, and mission documentation.
Steiner says the goal is to ensure that the administrative burden does not grow faster than the program itself.
“AirData centralizes all of it in real time, so the administrative load never grows faster than the program does.”
Flexibility in a Changing Procurement Environment
One of the defining characteristics of AirData’s platform is its hardware neutrality. The system supports more than 178 drone models and flight applications across over 40 manufacturers.
That flexibility is becoming increasingly important as agencies face evolving procurement requirements and regulatory pressures surrounding certain manufacturers.
“For public safety, it’s become a core requirement rather than a preference,” Steiner said. “The regulatory pressure around certain manufacturers has forced a lot of agencies to rethink their procurement strategy mid-program.”
Agencies that built their drone programs around a single vendor, he noted, often face challenges when policies or supply chains change. A platform that supports multiple aircraft types allows departments to adapt more easily.
“What we’ve seen across our 60 regions is that fleet composition varies enormously depending on local regulations, budget cycles, and mission requirements.”
Because AirData integrates with many flight apps, pilots do not need to change their workflows when logging data. Departments can choose aircraft based on mission requirements rather than software compatibility.
Transparency and Accountability
Public safety drone programs also face increasing public scrutiny. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, oversight bodies, and community concerns have pushed many agencies to provide greater visibility into their operations.
Steiner believes transparency works best when it becomes routine rather than reactive.
“The agencies that handle FOIA requests well are the ones that treat transparency as a standing practice rather than a response to pressure.”
AirData’s Public Portal allows agencies to publish flight activity and mission data for public viewing while controlling what information is shared and when. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, for example, uses the portal to provide searchable access to drone flight activity.
When data is readily available, Steiner says, community concerns often decrease.
“When the information is freely available, complaints drop and the perceived value of their program increases.”
Supporting the Growth of Drone as First Responder
The rapid expansion of Drone as First Responder programs represents another major driver behind the new initiative.
DFR operations require real-time situational awareness and coordination between dispatchers, commanders, and field responders. AirData supports these workflows through features such as low-latency live streaming and integration with command platforms.
“DFR programs run on speed and information,” Steiner said. “One-second latency live streaming delivers aerial video directly to commanders and authorized stakeholders from any phone, tablet, or smart controller.”
The platform also allows agencies to share live access quickly with neighboring departments through a QR code, enabling multi-agency coordination during major incidents.
At the same time, all flight data feeds automatically into the system’s compliance and reporting framework. That documentation supports operational review, training programs, and certification tracking.
Infrastructure for the Next Phase of Public Safety Drones
For Steiner, the launch of AirData’s Public Safety Program reflects a broader shift in how agencies view drone technology.
Drones are no longer experimental tools or occasional assets. Instead, they are becoming core infrastructure within public safety operations.
“Agencies worldwide are moving from treating drones as supplemental equipment to building them into core operations,” Steiner said.
As that shift continues, agencies will need systems that provide scalability, accountability, and operational visibility.
“Communities, oversight bodies, and agency leaders now expect drone programs to be transparent, accountable, and scalable,” Steiner said. “That requires more than hardware.”
AirData’s new program, he says, aims to provide the operational foundation needed for agencies launching their first drone program as well as those expanding advanced capabilities like Drone as First Responder.
“It meets agencies wherever they are,” Steiner said, “and gives them the tools, experience, and support to grow with confidence.”
Read more:
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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