Reynoldsburg committee forwards 5-year Skydio drone purchase via Axon; council approves in consent vote

Council’s Public Safety, Law & Courts Committee moved on March 23 to forward a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Axon Enterprises Inc. to purchase Skydio X10 drone bundles for public-safety use and waive competitive bidding; the item was later approved on the council’s consent agenda by an 8–0 roll call.

Deputy Chief Bender, who answered committee questions, said the proposal is for a five‑year contract for the dock infrastructure through Axon (which partners with Skydio) and that the drones themselves have three‑year manufacturer coverage. “So, yes, we’re requesting to enter into a 5 year contract with Axon Enterprises to purchase a drone first responder program through Skydio drones,” Deputy Chief Bender said. He added that Axon/Skydio training is part of the purchase and that the department will develop an in‑house training program and FAA approvals (a COA) for dispatcher-launched operations.

Staff said the purchase would provide three drones and three docking stations. Bender said the docks’ installation and maintenance for the five‑year contract are included; the drones are covered for three years and would be replaced if a major failure occurred. “Training is included in the purchase for four operators,” Bender said, adding that the trained operators will in turn train additional staff.

Officials said analysis showed locating the docks on City Hall’s roof would allow the fleet to reach an estimated 93.5% of priority‑1 calls within 120 seconds. The department projected a tentative go‑live date of Aug. 1, contingent on signing the contract and installation.

Council and staff answered questions about operations, life span and insurance during the committee meeting. Staff said smaller wearable/consumable parts (for example, propellers) would be available as wear items, and that if a drone failed after the three‑year manufacturer coverage the city would need to replace it. On insurance, staff said the drone program would fall under the department’s existing liability arrangements but that they would confirm specific policy coverage details.

The resolution was forwarded to the full council and placed on the consent agenda; the consent agenda was approved by roll call (8 affirmative votes, 0 negative). The contract and policy development next steps include executing the agreement, scheduling vendor training, finalizing an FAA authorization approach and completing an installation timeline before the projected August launch.