DRONERESPONDERS sets TEXCON 2026 for Arlington's Globe Life Field

DRONERESPONDERS released the program for TEXCON 2026, a four-day Texas public safety drone conference set for Oct. 19-22 at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The event will combine panels, an exhibitor showcase and scenario-based training for public safety and government personnel as agencies expand UAS and counter-UAS use.

Why it matters: - TEXCON is a major public safety drone training event in Texas. - The conference is built for agencies that use drones for search and rescue, crash reconstruction, disaster response, event security and counter-UAS. - The move to Globe Life Field and multiple North Texas training sites expands classroom, exhibit and hands-on capacity.

What happened: - DRONERESPONDERS announced the TEXCON 2026 program on Oct. 6 for a conference running Oct. 19-22, 2026, at Globe Life Field in Arlington. - Arlington Police Department is hosting the conference. - AIRT is producing the event. - DRONERESPONDERS is urging public safety and government personnel to register now because the hands-on training courses have limited seats. - 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 can attend only as exhibitors or sponsors. - A strict no-suitcasing policy will be enforced.

The details: - TEXCON brings together public safety drone professionals, agencies and industry innovators focused on UAS, counter-UAS and advanced aviation technologies. - The conference is supported by Autonomy Global and the AUVSI Lone Star Chapter. - Training will be hosted at Tarrant County College, the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex in Fort Worth, the Arlington Police Department and the North Central Texas Council of Governments. - Monday, Oct. 19, opens with panels and presentations on public safety aviation, technology and policy. - Arlington Police Chief Alexander Jones will deliver the opening keynote. - Sessions will cover the state of public safety UAS, lessons learned 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. - Tuesday, Oct. 20, features the exhibit hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - The exhibit hall will include manufacturers, software platforms, solution providers and counter-UAS technologies. - Attendees will see indoor exhibits plus live presentations and flight demonstrations in the outdoor flight area. - TEXCON will also reunite with the Texas TAK Workshop, adding TAK-focused panels, operational insights and ecosystem updates. - Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 21-22, move into eight two-day scenario-based courses across North Texas. - The courses are the UAS Operators Course, Fire/EMS Course, DOT UAS Course, Tactical Operators Course, Public Safety UAS Program Managers Course, Photogrammetry and Crash Scene Reconstruction Course, PIX4D Training Course and TAK User Course. - Instructors include personnel from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Austin Fire Department, Arlington Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol and DRONERESPONDERS. - TEXCON is organized by the DRONERESPONDERS Texas Public Safety Coordination Group, or TEXGRU. - Jason Day and Capt. Aaron Fritch co-chair TEXGRU. - Fritch is a 21-year veteran of the Texas Department of Public Safety and leads one of the largest public safety UAS programs in the nation.

Between the lines: - The schedule shows a push to move beyond conference panels and into operational training that can transfer directly to field work. - The North Texas venue network suggests organizers are trying to simulate real public safety environments instead of relying on one convention space. - The speaker mix signals that public safety drone work is increasingly tied to federal aviation rules, major event security and counter-UAS planning. - The tight registration window suggests demand may outstrip capacity for the hands-on tracks.

What's next: - Registration remains open at event registration. - More event information is available at conference details. - Attendees will gather in Arlington from Oct. 19-22 for panels, exhibits and field training. - Organizers are expected to fill the training courses first because of limited capacity.

The bottom line: - TEXCON 2026 is positioning itself as Texas' main public safety UAS training hub, with a bigger footprint, more hands-on instruction and broader agency participation.