The Safety & Security Technology Summit is returning to , slated for Jan. 11 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
Building on the success of the inaugural 2025 event鈥攚hich drew more than 150 education leaders鈥攖he 2026 Summit promises to take the conversation deeper. This year鈥檚 program is designed to address the most pressing safety and security challenges schools face nationwide, while showcasing innovations in AI, surveillance and cyber-hardening.
With growing interest, the FETC Exhibit Hall will feature a Safety & Security Expo Pavilion that has doubled in size from last year. Attendees can extend their Summit experience through Expo briefings with subject matter experts and interactive, hands-on technology demonstrations.
I recently spoke with Randall Dennis, FETC鈥檚 Security Technology Advisor, who is curating the safety summit content and serving as emcee. He is a security advisor, author and advocate at .
Jennifer: You鈥檝e done significant research into school security pain points, and that鈥檚 the theme of this year鈥檚 summit. You鈥檝e also brought in leading national experts again.
Randall: Absolutely. Our mission is to provide the most relevant information and showcase the latest innovations to empower superintendents, IT leaders and security directors.
Many security directors are highly skilled in policies and procedures, but they鈥檙e eager for a more strategic understanding of how technology鈥攁nd especially AI鈥攃an augment and support the work of school resource officers.
Jennifer: Beyond next-gen innovations, what issues will this year鈥檚 summit address?
Randall: One of our highlights will be a session on real-time surveillance solutions. But we鈥檙e also introducing a new format: breakout tables, each hosted by a subject matter expert, tackling what I call 鈥淭he Malevolent Seven鈥濃攖he seven most common and persistent security challenges:
- Unauthorized access and trespassing
- Violence between students
- Bullying and harassment in low-visibility areas
- Vandalism and property damage
- Theft (internal and external)
- Emergency evacuation, communication, and reunification failures
- Cyber-physical attacks on security systems
Attendees can join the table that best represents their biggest challenge. If time runs short, we offer two follow-up opportunities: first, our closing 鈥淪tump the Subject Matter Expert鈥 session鈥攁n open forum for tough, unresolved problems.
Jennifer: And the other opportunity would be the Safety & Security Expo?
Randall: Exactly. The Expo Pavilion will be twice as large this year, with more exhibitors and more subject matter experts ready to brainstorm through real-world challenges. Attendees can see live demos of new AI-powered solutions and have meaningful conversations with experts who are shaping the future of school security.
Jennifer: So, this year鈥檚 summit is ultimately about problem-solving.
Randall: That鈥檚 right. Bring us your challenges, your pain points, your headaches鈥攖his summit is about tackling them together. The experts at FETC 2026 are among the best in the country.
Last year was about laying a foundation鈥攁 ground floor for building a community of leaders committed to protecting students and staff. This year, we鈥檙e advancing that work.
Yes, there鈥檚 uncertainty, but the pace of innovation is on our side, and many of these technologies are more affordable than people realize.
Jennifer: That鈥檚 encouraging. Schools need every tool they can get to support SROs and keep campuses safe.
Randall: We鈥檝e also added a session focused on protecting and managing security technologies on school networks. Cyber-hardening is essential to ensure that physical security tech doesn鈥檛 become a vulnerability itself.
What excites me most is seeing competitors鈥攙endors who usually fight for market share鈥攍ocking arms for a common mission: keeping our schools safe. They鈥檙e not here to sell; they鈥檙e here to inform, equip, and support.
Jennifer: It sounds like this content has been designed around real-world needs.
Randall: That鈥檚 exactly our goal.
