Final Call: Seats Are Running Out for OHCON 2026, Ohio’s Premier Public Safety UAS Conference

Pre-conference Program Managers Course is sold out as hands-on Flight OPS training seats go fast ahead of the September 29–30 event at the Ohio Fire Academy

COLUMBUS, OH, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — DRONERESPONDERS, the world’s leading nonprofit program supporting public safety agencies that fly drones to save lives, today issued a final call for registration for OHCON 2026, the Ohio Public Safety UAS Conference, taking place September 29–30, 2026, at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg. With the conference less than a week away and the pre-conference UAS Program Managers Course already sold out, public safety and government personnel who plan to attend are urged to register now while seats remain.

Recognized as Ohio’s flagship public safety UAS conference, OHCON unites agencies, pilots, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance safe, effective drone operations across the state. The 2026 program delivers two full days of focused training, real-world case studies, and hands-on learning tailored to Ohio’s public safety mission, covering UAS, counter-UAS, and emerging aviation technologies. The conference is supported by the Ohio Fire Academy, Ohio Homeland Security, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“OHCON was built by Ohio responders for Ohio responders, and in just its second year it has become the place where our agencies come together to train, share what’s working, and prepare for what’s next,” said Assistant Chief Scott Mlakar (Ret.), OHCON coordinator and Training Standard Program Manager for DRONERESPONDERS. “Whether you fly for a small volunteer department or a large metro agency, you’ll leave with hands-on skills and the relationships that make statewide coordination work when it matters most. Our hands-on classes are intentionally small so every student gets real stick time, and that means seats are limited. Don’t wait. Register today and join us at the Ohio Fire Academy.”
Mlakar also serves as director of the Ohio UAS Coordination Group (OHGRU), director of North East Ohio Unmanned Response Teams (NEO-PSURT), chief of the Lake County Unmanned Response Team, and administrative officer for the Willoughby Fire Department.

“Ohio’s public safety agencies are asking their drone programs to do more every year, from building searches and missing-person responses to scene documentation and airspace security,” said Chief Charles Werner (Ret.), founder and director of DRONERESPONDERS. “OHCON puts responders in the same room, and on the same training field, as the practitioners and state leaders who are solving those challenges right now. If your agency has been thinking about attending, this is the week to register, because the hands-on seats will not last.”
Two Days of Training, Education, and Operational Insight

The main conference program features formal presentations from experienced practitioners, state and local leaders, and industry experts addressing the operational, technical, regulatory, and policy issues that shape public safety UAS programs today. Sessions focus on best practices, lessons learned, emerging trends, and the new regulatory hurdles agencies across Ohio are working to navigate.

Running concurrently with the general sessions, OHCON’s hands-on Flight OPS training gives attendees time behind the controls in a realistic training environment. The Tactical Operations session takes drone operations indoors, training Patrol and SWAT operators to navigate confined spaces, fly in low light, and respond to rapidly evolving scenes for building searches, threat assessment, and real-time intelligence. The Search and Rescue Operations session covers lost-person behavior, effective search patterns, sensor use, coordination with ground crews, and payload delivery so teams can prioritize search areas and locate subjects faster. The UAS Mapping for Crime Scenes and Fire Scenes session teaches flight planning, data collection, and the production of high-quality imagery and models for investigations, reconstruction, and courtroom-ready evidence. Attendees can also take part in NIST Proficiency exercises, the nationally used UAS flight proficiency challenges that help pilots sharpen precision, control, and consistency while building measurable, repeatable benchmarks to bring back to their agency’s training program.
Exhibit Hall and Live Technology Demonstrations

Throughout the conference, attendees will engage directly with vendors representing drone manufacturers, software platforms, operational services, and counter-UAS technologies, with indoor exhibits, an outdoor exhibition area for vehicle-mounted systems and drone-in-a-box deployments, and sponsor presentations and flight demonstrations. LiveU, which announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS earlier this year, has identified OHCON as one of the marquee events where it will demonstrate its portable video encoders integrated with leading public safety drone platforms.

Who Should Attend and How to Register
General admission to OHCON is limited to public safety, military, Department of Transportation, and other government personnel, as well as recognized volunteer public safety organizations.

Register: Events.droneresponders.org/OHCON

Event information: droneresponders.org/ohcon

About DRONERESPONDERS
DRONERESPONDERS is the world’s leading nonprofit program supporting public safety agencies and emergency services organizations using unmanned aircraft systems, Counter-UAS, and Advanced Air Mobility technologies for life-safety missions. The program provides training, data-driven insights, operational best practices, and collaboration opportunities for first responders implementing drone technology in emergency response, law enforcement, fire service, search and rescue, and disaster operations. DRONERESPONDERS is an official program of AIRT, the world’s leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing Drones For Good^® and AAM For Good^® for public safety, emergency response, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. Learn more at droneresponders.org.

About AIRT
AIRT (Airborne International Response Team) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that provides innovative aviation and aerospace resources to help people and organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex emergencies and major disasters. AIRT is the official home of the DRONERESPONDERS program. Learn more at airt.ngo.

Angela Costello
AngelaCostelloGroup | DRONERESPONDERS
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