DFPSA National Summit 2027
For sworn public safety UAS programs — not a general drone show.
Three days of operator-led sessions on DFR, BVLOS, ATAK/TAK, evidence chain-of-custody, and procurement — designed for the people who actually fly, command, and fund public safety drone programs.
- When
- Fall 2027
- Where
- Denver, Colorado
- Built for
- Sworn agency programs
The summit built by operators, for operators.
Most drone conferences are vendor showcases. This is different. Every session is led by someone who has actually stood up, commanded, or funded a public safety drone program — and is willing to share what worked, what failed, and what they'd do differently.
- Chief Pilots & sUAS Coordinators
- DFR Program Managers
- Chiefs · Sheriffs · Fire Chiefs
- EM Directors & SAR Commanders
- Agency Legal, PIO & Privacy Officers
- Procurement & Grant Leads
Operator-Led Sessions
No sales pitches. Real program managers sharing real outcomes from real deployments.
Peer Networking
Connect with agencies at your stage — from first SOP to multi-agency BVLOS operations.
Hands-On Labs
Build a TAK server, draft a BVLOS packet, and design an evidence workflow with expert guidance.
Vendor-Neutral
Compare technology objectively. Rankings are never sold and sponsors never shape the agenda.
Eight tracks. Forty-plus sessions.
Build your own agenda across the disciplines that matter to your program. Sessions are tagged by experience level so first-year programs and veteran teams both find their depth.
DFR Operations
Drone as First Responder program design, dock siting, dispatch integration, and scaling from pilot to citywide.
BVLOS & Airspace
Part 107.31/107.51 waiver packets, ConOps development, detect-and-avoid, and FAA engagement strategies.
ATAK / Situational Awareness
TAK server deployment, drone-to-TAK video, map layers, and multi-agency federation for major incidents.
Tactical & SWAT
Overwatch, barricade response, warrant service, and drone integration with tactical command.
Evidence & Data
Chain-of-custody, CJIS-aware storage, retention policy, redaction, and courtroom admissibility.
Procurement & Grants
NDAA compliance, Blue UAS, RFP development, and grant-aligned buying (BJA, FEMA, AFG, COPS).
Program Leadership
Standing up a defensible program, policy governance, community engagement, and council briefings.
Fire & SAR
Thermal operations, fireground size-up, wildland coordination, and search grid management.
Three days, built for working operators.
A preliminary day-by-day structure. Final session titles, speakers, and times will be confirmed as the program is finalized.
- 8:00 AMRegistration & Continental Breakfastgeneral
- 9:00 AMOpening Keynote: The State of Public Safety UASkeynote
- 10:30 AMTrack Sessions — Program Leadership, DFR, Procurementbreakout
- 12:00 PMLunch & Exhibit Hallgeneral
- 1:30 PMTrack Sessions — BVLOS, Evidence, Tacticalbreakout
- 3:30 PMPanel: Lessons from the First 100 DFR Programspanel
- 5:00 PMWelcome Reception (Exhibit Hall)social
- 8:00 AMBreakfast & Networkinggeneral
- 8:45 AMKeynote: Building Public Trust in Drone Programskeynote
- 10:00 AMTrack Sessions — ATAK, Fire/SAR, DFR Scalingbreakout
- 12:00 PMLunch & Agency Roundtables (by discipline)general
- 1:30 PMHands-On Labs: TAK Server, BVLOS Packets, Evidence Workflowslab
- 4:00 PMLive Demonstration: Multi-Agency DFR Response Exercisedemo
- 6:30 PMSummit Banquet & Awardssocial
- 8:00 AMBreakfastgeneral
- 8:45 AMKeynote: The Next Five Years of BVLOSkeynote
- 10:00 AMTrack Sessions — Mutual Aid, Regional Networks, Policybreakout
- 11:30 AMWorking Groups: Regional Task Force Planningworkshop
- 1:00 PMClosing Lunch & 2028 Previewgeneral
- 2:00 PMOptional: Vendor-Neutral Equipment Demo Field Dayoptional
Denver, Colorado.
Centrally located and easy to reach from anywhere in the country, Denver offers excellent airlift, a strong public safety community, and the outdoor terrain ideal for live UAS demonstrations.
Fly In
Denver International Airport (DEN) — nonstop service from 215+ destinations, ~35 min from downtown.
Stay
Discounted room block at the host hotel will be announced with registration. Government per-diem-friendly rates.
Experience
Walkable downtown, the Rockies an hour away, and a host city that knows public safety.
Attendee pricing.
Tiered pricing modeled on AUVSI XPONENTIAL, IACP, and FDIC — with agency, government, and early-bird rates that keep the summit accessible to working operators.
Sworn & uniformed personnel
Through Mar 31, 2027
Full 3-day pass
Registration at the door
Group rate: 10% off for 5+ registrations from the same agency. DFPSA members receive an additional $200 off any tier.
Reach the decision-makers.
Connect with the chiefs, program managers, and procurement leads who actually buy and fly. Vendor-neutrality applies to all sessions — exhibitors get visibility, never editorial influence.
Standard inline space · 2 staff passes · listing
Premium inline · 4 staff passes · lead capture
Open island · 8 staff passes · branded session
Naming rights · keynote · all touchpoints
Additional sponsorships available: Lanyard ($15K), Coffee Break ($10K), Charging Lounge ($12K), Welcome Reception ($25K).
Have a program story worth sharing?
We prioritize working operators with real program experience over theoretical presentations. If you've built, scaled, or learned hard lessons running a public safety drone program, we want you on the stage.
- Who can attend?
- The summit is built for sworn and uniformed public safety personnel and their program staff — police, sheriffs, fire/rescue, EMS, emergency management, SAR, and tribal public safety. Verified agency credentials are required for the government/agency rate.
- Is this a vendor show?
- No. The summit is operator-led and vendor-neutral. Vendors can exhibit and sponsor, but all educational sessions are delivered by working operators and program managers — not sales teams. Vendor-neutrality applies to every session.
- What's included in registration?
- All keynotes, track sessions, hands-on labs, the exhibit hall, the welcome reception, the summit banquet, breakfast and lunch each day, and access to session recordings afterward.
- Can I bring my whole team?
- Yes — and you should. Group rate: 10% off for 5+ registrations from the same agency. DFPSA members get an additional $200 off any tier.
- Will there be CEUs / training credit?
- We are pursuing continuing education credit and POST/training credit in participating states. Details will be confirmed as the program is finalized.
- How do I become a speaker?
- We're building the program now. Submit a session proposal through the contact form — we prioritize working operators with real program experience over theoretical presentations.