SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
If you spot a drone over Big Spring Park, it’s not the Huntsville Police Department spying on you, according to City Councilman Bill Kling. Kling, who represents the central district, recently discussed the issue with Police Chief Kirk Giles after a resident raised concerns at a City Council meeting.
“If there is a spouse abuse situation, if there is a situation with gunfire, yes a drone would probably be sent on scene asap,” Kling said. “As far as surveillance, spying on people — no, that is not going on. He [Chief Giles] was very emphatic about it. He said frankly they don’t have the time, and they don’t have any inclination.”
The concerns came ahead of an Aug. 28 council vote on a contract with Skyfire AI to assist with the police department’s Drone First Responder (DFR) program. The contract runs for one year at $25,000 per month, not to exceed $300,000.
Kling offered examples of how drones have been used in urgent situations. He recounted a recent convenience store robbery in which a drone tracked the suspect to a wooded area after she changed clothes. Officers were then able to apprehend the suspect thanks to the drone’s assistance.
The Huntsville Police Department has been operating drones since 2019, says Officer Chad Tillman. About 20 drones are active; their use is typically for public safety—search and rescue, crime scenes, and helping officers in dangerous situations—not traffic enforcement or general surveillance.
Who Is SkyfireAI & What They Do
SkyfireAI (formed from the merger of Skyfire Consulting and Echelon AI) is a company that specializes in AI-enabled drone systems, especially for public safety and emergency response.
• Headquartered in Huntsville: The company relocated from Atlanta in 2024, establishing operations at the airport and building the Rise DFR Village, a 2,000-acre FAA-approved drone testing and training site.
• Rapid Response Focus: Their drones can often respond to incidents in 60–90 seconds, far quicker than traditional first responders.
• AI & Training: They provide AI-driven situational awareness, reduce false alarms, and help first responders train in real-world scenarios.
• Local Partnerships: They collaborate with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and other organizations to expand training, STEM education, and drone readiness for police, fire, and EMS.
CEO Matt Sloane has called Huntsville’s Rise DFR Village “a significant leap forward in the integration of drones into public safety operations,” noting that realistic training empowers first responders to leverage life-saving technology.
Hobby Drones in Parks
Kling also stressed that many of the drones people see in public spaces like Big Spring Park aren’t police-owned at all.
“People like taking drones out to old airport property, Big Spring Park, places to play with them or set them up,” Kling said. “Those are done by individual people, private citizens. That’s not part of any official act from the city.”
With consumer drones now available for as little as $100, Kling said hobbyists and kids are often behind the buzzing machines in the sky — not law enforcement.
Bottom Line
• According to councilman Bill Kling and Police Chief Giles, Huntsville’s police drone use is limited to crisis, emergency, and public safety missions—not surveillance of residents in parks or neighborhoods.
• SkyfireAI supports that mission by providing equipment, training, and AI-driven systems to strengthen Huntsville’s Drone First Responder program.
• Most drones spotted in parks are flown by private citizens or hobbyists, not the police department.