In my time as an event planner with the San Francisco Police Department, I’ve seen firsthand the complexity of large-scale events hosted over the past quarter-century. Some were celebratory and uplifting, others volatile or unpredictable, and a few carried significant risk. Our planning relied on established frameworks like the Incident Command System (ICS), supported by internal protocols and interagency coordination. Our guiding principle was simple: “Plan for the worst — hope for the best.”
But experience teaches us that hope alone is not a strategy. Even the most detailed plans must account for uncertainty, rapid change and emerging threats. At Axon’s customer conference, Axon Week 2026 in Nashville, I saw how modern technology is beginning to close that gap, giving today’s planners, command centers and operators more confidence in the face of the unknown.
As we mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, global instability — ranging from geopolitical conflicts to domestic unrest — continues to shape the threat landscape. These concerns are especially relevant as the United States prepares to host major international events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Historically, public safety planning has focused on crowd management, staffing, logistics, traffic considerations and protest activity. Today, those responsibilities have expanded to include aerial threats from drones and increasingly sophisticated cyber-risks. In this environment, real-time situational awareness and actionable intelligence are not just beneficial — they are essential.
Walking through the Axon Week 2026 exhibition hall, it became clear that public safety agencies now have access to tools capable of transforming how large-scale events are managed. Officers in the field can leverage AI-assisted real-time crime centers (RTCCs), powered by platforms like Fusus and Axon 911, to gain unprecedented visibility and coordination. Traditionally, my agency used the SMEAC framework — situation, mission, execution, administration and command — which aligns closely with ICS principles. Today, that same framework can be significantly enhanced through integrated AI systems and cloud-based intelligence sharing.
Situation: A large-scale event with over 500,000 attendees requires a unified multi-agency approach involving police, fire, EMS and federal partners. The challenges during the event could range from a lost child to disorderly conduct or more serious threats to public safety.
Mission: The mission remains consistent: Protect life, maintain order and ensure a safe environment for attendees and responders. Achieving this requires coordinated planning across infrastructure, transportation, crowd control and intelligence operations.
Execution: Personnel are deployed to pre-identified critical areas, equipped with Axon body-worn cameras (BWC) or Skydio drones that can capture more precise information and imaging and stream data back to the RTCC. This provides command staff with real-time visibility into field operations. Tools like Axon Assistant can enhance officer effectiveness by enabling real-time translation across more than 50 languages — an especially valuable capability at international events where officers may interact with visitors from around the world. In addition, capabilities like Policy Chat can help officers quickly access policy guidance in the field, supporting more efficient responses to situations ranging from medical assistance and lost children or property to other routine operational questions that arise during large-scale events.
Axon Vision further enhances situational awareness by applying AI-powered video analytics to existing camera systems. The platform can detect events such as fights, security incidents such as unauthorized entry, and operational disruptions such as vehicle collisions for staff to review and determine the appropriate response. This reduces reliance on manual monitoring and allows personnel to focus on verified threats.
Axon Air, integrated with Skydio drones, allows agencies to preposition aerial assets around event venues for rapid deployment. These drones provide real-time video feeds to the RTCC, supporting crowd and traffic monitoring, perimeter security and greater intelligence of adjacent areas such as parking facilities and transit hubs. By delivering rapid situational awareness, they can also help agencies identify and respond more quickly to evolving conditions during large-scale events.
One of the most significant emerging threats comes from the air. Drones by bad actors have already been used for surveillance, contraband delivery and other illicit activities. In the event of an unauthorized drone intrusion, systems like Dedrone provide an additional layer of defense. Using AI-enabled detection and identification, Dedrone can track rogue drones operating within restricted airspace and help law enforcement locate pilots directly and intervene as needed. This capability is increasingly critical for high-profile events, where airspace security is as important as ground operations.
I spoke with Travis Scott, vice president of sales for Dedrone, who talked about the critical need for preparations to apply systems at events to help address the unidentified or possible malicious drone threat. Scott said “Drones pose the most rapidly evolving threat to the United States and any sort of large gatherings right now. ”The event organizer takes steps with FAA authority to declare the airspace above and around the event to create a “no-fly zone” for those not related and approved to approach the geo-fenced area. Once the event preparation and proceedings occur, the need for expedient identification of non-authorized drones is critical.Seconds count and the Dedrone system will detect the drones and arm the operator analyst with the ability to address them in real time through the Fusus command center RTCC.
See how real-time intelligence, connected devices and AI-powered tools work together seamlessly to protect events in this live scenario presented at Axon Week 2026:
Administration: Accountability, efficiency and evidentiary integrity remain central to modern event and incident management. From the initial community interaction through case closure, Axon’s ecosystem helps streamline workflows for officers and investigators. Community-request tools help enable evidence submission, allowing individuals to securely upload photos and digital evidence directly into Axon Evidence, helping preserve forensic integrity while reducing administrative burden on officers.
During large-scale events, tools like Draft One and Form One can help agencies manage the increased volume of field activity by streamlining report writing for incidents such as medical calls, lost property, traffic disruptions or arrests made around venues and transit areas. By assisting with narrative generation and field entry suggestions based on available information, these tools can help officers complete documentation more efficiently while remaining fully responsible for final review and approval.
Within Axon Evidence, agencies can securely centralize and manage large volumes of digital evidence generated during event operations — including body-worn camera footage, fixed-camera video, drone footage and photos from multiple responding units. Capabilities such as transcription, redaction and attribute search can help investigators quickly identify relevant footage, connect related incidents, and support faster coordination across agencies and investigative teams. Secure cloud-based case sharing can also streamline collaboration with prosecutors and courts following major event operations.
Command, Control and Communication: Unified command relies on timely, accurate information to make informed decisions. At the start of an incident, Axon 911 and Fusus-enhanced RTCCs, data from multiple sources — 911 calls, camera feeds, intelligence from officers in the field — can be synthesized into a single operational picture. Field units can submit requests and receive guidance in real time, while the RTCC manages resource allocation, personnel movements and logistical adjustments. This centralized coordination ensures that even as conditions evolve, the response remains cohesive and effective. Incorporating a “primary, alternative, contingency and emergency” (PACE) plan ensures command staff can adapt quickly to evolving conditions, whether responding to disruptions, emergencies or coordinated threats.
Conclusion: Event management — from local community gatherings to large-scale international events — is entering a new era where AI-driven tools enhance, but do not replace, human judgment. The technologies showcased at Axon Week 2026 demonstrate how integrated systems can support agencies and planners from initial preparation through execution and post-event analysis. Ultimately, the goal remains unchanged: ensuring the safety of participants, staff, and surrounding communities. What has evolved is the ability to support that mission with greater precision, adaptability, and confidence in an increasingly complex operational environment.
