DRONERESPONDERS sets TEXCON 2026 for Arlington with expanded training and exhibit hall

DRONERESPONDERS says TEXCON 2026 will run Oct. 19-22 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, bringing Texas public safety agencies, federal partners and industry vendors together for drone training, policy sessions and live demos. The conference is limited to government and approved public safety attendees, with hands-on courses expected to draw strong demand.

Why it matters: - TEXCON is Texas' leading public safety UAS conference, and the 2026 event aims to expand hands-on drone training for responders who use UAS for search and rescue, crash reconstruction, disaster response and major event security. - The move to Globe Life Field in Arlington adds more training capacity and exhibitor space as public safety agencies push for broader drone and counter-UAS capabilities. - Registration is already open, and the training courses have limited seats.

What happened: - DRONERESPONDERS announced the program for TEXCON 2026, scheduled for Oct. 19-22, 2026, at Globe Life Field in Arlington. - The four-day conference is produced by AIRT and hosted by the Arlington Police Department. - Partners supporting the event include Autonomy Global and the AUVSI Lone Star Chapter. - Training is being hosted at sites across North Texas, including Tarrant County College, the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex in Fort Worth, the Arlington Police Department and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

The details: - The conference will open Monday, Oct. 19, with panels and presentations on public safety aviation, technology and policy. - Arlington Police Chief Alexander Jones will deliver the opening keynote. - Planned sessions include the state of public safety UAS, lessons from UAS operations supporting the FIFA World Cup in Texas and Florida, FAA policy and the future of flight, federal aviation security and counter-UAS, and drone delivery's impact on public safety operations. - Featured speakers include representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Homeland Security and Amazon Prime Air. - On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the exhibit hall will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with manufacturers, software platforms, solution providers and counter-UAS technologies. - The exhibit hall will include indoor exhibits, live presentations and flight demonstrations in an outdoor flight area. - TEXCON is also reuniting with the Texas TAK Workshop for TAK-focused panels, operational insights and ecosystem updates. - On Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 21-22, attendees will move into scenario-based training across eight two-day courses. - The course lineup includes UAS Operators, Fire/EMS, DOT UAS, Tactical Operators, Public Safety UAS Program Managers, Photogrammetry and Crash Scene Reconstruction, PIX4D Training and TAK User courses. - Instructors include personnel from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Austin Fire Department, the Arlington Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol and DRONERESPONDERS. - General admission is limited to public safety, military, Department of Transportation and other government personnel, along with approved academic organizations, recognized volunteer public safety groups and government-adjacent organizations. - Private sector companies must attend as exhibitors or sponsors. - A strict no-suitcasing policy will be enforced. - Registration is available at Register for TEXCON, and event details are posted at TEXCON event information.

Between the lines: - The conference is being positioned as both a training event and a networking hub for agencies trying to scale drone operations and coordinate with federal and state partners. - Jason Day, deputy director of DRONERESPONDERS, said the Arlington venue and regional training sites will allow more responders to get real-world instruction. - Chief Charles Werner, founder and director of DRONERESPONDERS, said agencies are being asked to do more with drones each year and that TEXCON puts responders next to the people solving those problems now. - Day has more than 35 years of aviation experience, including service in the U.S. Navy, civilian aviation and more than a decade in public safety aviation. - Day previously served as director of unmanned aircraft for the Texas Department of Public Safety, where he helped build what DRONERESPONDERS describes as the largest public safety UAS program in the U.S.

What's next: - With less than two weeks before opening day when the announcement was made, DRONERESPONDERS is urging eligible attendees to register before training seats fill up. - The conference will unfold across the exhibit hall, keynote sessions and partner-hosted courses from Oct. 19-22. - DRONERESPONDERS says the event will continue to push public safety drone operations toward broader interoperability, counter-UAS readiness and advanced aviation use.

The bottom line: - TEXCON 2026 is shaping up as a major Texas gathering for public safety drone operators, with a bigger venue, more training tracks and a strong focus on real-world operations.