Commercial UAV Expo Debuts DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course, Unveils Public Safety Summit Program

Las Vegas, NV — July 9, 2026 — Commercial UAV Expo has announced the launch of the DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course, a two-day training offering presented by DRONERESPONDERS and produced by the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT). The expo also released the full session program for the 2026 DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit. Both events will take place at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas as part of Commercial UAV Expo, scheduled for September 1-3, 2026.

The Public Safety Summit is designed for a broad range of public safety UAS practitioners, including law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, search and rescue, emergency management, and transportation agencies. Topics cover Drone as First Responder (DFR) program scaling, fire service operations from structure fires to wildland firefighting and hazmat response, DOT infrastructure and crash-scene applications, shared-airspace coordination between commercial logistics and emergency operations, and evolving training standards for public safety pilots and program managers.

Counter-UAS Lessons from the 2026 FIFA World Cup

A key focus of the summit is counter-UAS operations, a particularly timely area given the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. Since the tournament began on June 11, the FBI has seized more than 600 drones from restricted airspace across all 11 U.S. host cities, and federal agencies have detected over 1,000 drones operating near venues. Matches continue through the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium.

The Public Safety Summit includes a two-part session titled "Lessons Learned from FIFA World Cup cUAS Response," featuring agencies and operators involved in planning and executing airspace security for the largest World Cup in history. Federal officials have noted that this counter-UAS work is laying the groundwork for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

"The World Cup has become one of the most visible stress tests yet for public safety airspace management in the United States, and the lessons coming out of it are going to shape how agencies prepare for major events for years to come," said Adrianne Madden, Event Director for Commercial UAV Expo. "Our attendees need a direct line to the people who lived that response, which is exactly what this Summit is built to deliver."

Public Safety Summit Session Highlights

The 2026 Public Safety Summit program spans two days of panels and presentations for first responder UAS program managers and remote pilots at all experience levels. In addition to the FIFA World Cup counter-UAS series, sessions include:

• The State of Public Safety UAS Operations — A comprehensive look at how law enforcement, fire, and emergency management agencies are scaling drone programs.
• Fire Service Drone Operations Across the Country — Featuring program leaders from FDNY, Phoenix Fire Department, CAL FIRE, and Metro Fire, covering structure fires, wildland firefighting, search and rescue, and hazmat response.
• How DOTs Are Deploying Drones for Safer Infrastructure — Led by the Texas Department of Transportation, covering bridge inspections, crash-scene documentation, and public safety coordination.
• Drones on Demand vs. Drones in Emergencies: Who Has the Right of Way? — Examining shared airspace between commercial logistics and emergency UAS operations, with panelists from DroneSense by Versaterm, ANRA Technologies, Zipline, and Wing.
• Scaling the Next Generation of DFR — Exploring BVLOS operations, AI-enabled workflows, and resilient communications for Drone as First Responder programs.
• Shared Skies Ahead: Public Safety UAS Training and Standards in a Changing Environment — An update on DRONERESPONDERS training programs and the Public Safety Training Advisory Council.

DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course Debuts

New for 2026, the DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course is a two-day training designed specifically for public safety and government professionals responsible for building, managing, and leading UAS programs. Participants who complete the course receive a certificate. While the curriculum is grounded in real-world public safety operations, the principles are applicable across industries.

Day One focuses on the operational foundation: UAS program management, training frameworks, standard operating procedures, regulatory considerations, safety management systems, and maintenance best practices. Day Two shifts to advancement and strategic growth, covering interagency collaboration, software and data-driven tools, leadership strategies for scaling programs, emerging technologies, and integration with Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

"Too many public safety UAS programs plateau because the people running them were handed a mission without a playbook," said Jason Day, Deputy Director of DRONERESPONDERS. "We built this course to give program managers a structured path from foundation to full operational maturity, and Commercial UAV Expo puts it in front of the exact audience that needs it."

Registration and Access

Registration for the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit includes two days of public safety content, access to Commercial UAV Expo keynote sessions, Pilot Hub, Indoor Airspace Demo Area, UAS Summer Bash, Networking Happy Hour, Public Safety Happy Hour, and the Exhibit Hall. The DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course includes two days of training with a certificate and provides the same access as the Public Safety Summit pass.

The complete Public Safety Summit program schedule, including speakers and times, is available at expouav.com/event-schedule. For more information and to register, visit www.expouav.com.

Commercial UAV Expo, presented by Commercial UAV News, is an international conference and expo focused exclusively on commercial UAS integration and operation. It is produced by Diversified's technology portfolio, which also includes Commercial UAV News, Geo Week, Geo Week News, Geo Business (UK), and Digital Construction Week (UK).

DRONERESPONDERS is a nonprofit program supporting public safety agencies using unmanned aircraft systems, counter-UAS, and advanced aviation technologies for life-safety missions. AIRT (Airborne International Response Team) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Miami, Florida, advancing the use of Drones For Good and AAM For Good for public safety and emergencies.

The source for this article is https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2026/07/09/commercial-uav-expo-debuts-droneresponders-program-management-course-unveils-public-safety-summit-program/26825/.