OHCON 2026 nears sellout ahead of Ohio public safety drone conference

DRONERESPONDERS is urging last-minute registration for OHCON 2026, a two-day public safety UAS conference set for Sept. 29-30 at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg. The pre-conference program managers course is already sold out, and hands-on flight training seats are filling fast.

Why it matters: - OHCON is a key training event for Ohio public safety agencies that use drones for response, search, rescue, mapping and scene documentation. - The conference is designed to help agencies improve coordination, sharpen flight skills and keep pace with changing regulations and tactics. - Limited hands-on seats mean agencies that want practical training may miss the chance this year.

What happened: - DRONERESPONDERS issued a final registration call for OHCON 2026, scheduled for Sept. 29-30, 2026, at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg. - The pre-conference UAS Program Managers Course is sold out. - Public safety and government personnel were urged to register immediately while seats remain.

The details: - OHCON is billed as Ohio's flagship public safety UAS conference. - The conference brings together agencies, pilots, policymakers and industry leaders. - The 2026 program includes two full days of training, case studies and hands-on learning focused on UAS, counter-UAS and emerging aviation technologies. - Supporting organizations include 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. - Assistant Chief Scott Mlakar (Ret.), OHCON coordinator and Training Standard Program Manager for DRONERESPONDERS, said the event was built by Ohio responders for Ohio responders and has become a place to train, share what works and prepare for what's next. - Mlakar said the hands-on classes are intentionally small so every student gets real stick time. - Chief Charles Werner (Ret.), founder and director of DRONERESPONDERS, said Ohio agencies are asking drone programs to do more each year, including building searches, missing-person responses, scene documentation and airspace security. - Werner said the hands-on seats will not last. - The main conference includes presentations from practitioners, state and local leaders and industry experts on operational, technical, regulatory and policy issues. - Sessions will cover best practices, lessons learned, emerging trends and new regulatory hurdles facing Ohio agencies. - Flight OPS training runs alongside the general sessions. - The Tactical Operations session focuses on indoor drone use for Patrol and SWAT teams, including confined spaces, low-light flying and rapidly evolving scenes. - The Search and Rescue Operations session covers lost-person behavior, search patterns, sensor use, coordination with ground crews and payload delivery. - The UAS Mapping for Crime Scenes and Fire Scenes session covers flight planning, data collection and production of imagery and models for investigations and courtroom-ready evidence. - Attendees can also take part in NIST Proficiency exercises, which measure precision, control and consistency through repeatable flight challenges. - The exhibit hall will feature drone manufacturers, software platforms, operational services and counter-UAS technologies. - The event will also include indoor exhibits, an outdoor display area for vehicle-mounted systems and drone-in-a-box deployments, sponsor presentations and live flight demonstrations. - LiveU, which announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS earlier this year, plans to demonstrate portable video encoders integrated with public safety drone platforms at OHCON. - General admission is limited to public safety, military, Department of Transportation and other government personnel, plus recognized volunteer public safety organizations. - Registration is available at Events.droneresponders.org/OHCON. - More event information is available at droneresponders.org/ohcon.

Between the lines: - The sold-out pre-conference course and limited flight training capacity signal strong demand for hands-on public safety drone instruction. - The mix of operations, policy and technology sessions suggests OHCON is trying to serve both frontline operators and program leaders. - Live vendor demonstrations point to a broader market for public safety drone hardware, software and integrated response tools.

What's next: - Registration will remain open only while seats last. - Attendees at OHCON will get two days of training, demonstrations and networking at the Ohio Fire Academy. - DRONERESPONDERS will continue using the event to advance public safety UAS adoption and coordination in Ohio.