The first civilian conference on the Team Awareness Kit (TAK), CIVTAK24, took place from October 1-3, 2024, at the Hilton Washington Dulles Hotel. This groundbreaking event marked a significant moment in the development and application of TAK in the civilian sector.
Conference Highlights
The three-day event offered a wealth of presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities. Some of the main topics were:
- Use of TAK in Various Domains: From police and fire departments to search and rescue operations, diverse application scenarios were presented.
- Technical Innovations: Experts presented the latest developments in areas such as drone integration, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence in the TAK environment.
- International Perspectives: Representatives from various countries shared their experiences with implementing TAK in their respective organizations.
- Interoperability and Data Exchange: A central theme was improving collaboration between different agencies and organizations through TAK.
Expert Contributions
Among the speakers were renowned experts such as Andreas “AJ” Johansson from Corona Fire Dept, CA, who spoke about the use of TAK in fire services, and Eric Jones, CTO of Rain Technologies, who addressed the integration of new technologies into the TAK ecosystem. Their presentations and those of other speakers contributed significantly to a comprehensive overview of the current state and future of TAK.
Agenda and Schedule of the CIVTAK24 Conference
Day 1: Fundamentals and Innovations
The first day began with keynotes from high-profile speakers:
- Chief John Butler from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue opened the conference with an inspiring speech on the importance of TAK in modern emergency services.
- Ben Miller, Director of the Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting, presented “COTAK™”, an example of statewide TAK implementation for first responders.
- Inspector (Ret.) Lance Valcour discussed the importance of interoperability in public safety, beyond mere technology.
Afternoon breakout sessions included:
- “TAK in Backcountry / Wilderness SAR Applications” by Paul Clifton
- “ATAK 101: Mastering ATAK with the Crawl, Walk, Run Approach” by Michael Leckliter
- “Breaking into the TAK Ecosystem: Challenges and Rewards” by Eric Jones
The day concluded with presentations on forward-looking topics such as screenless interfaces and augmented reality for TAK.
Day 2: Practical Applications and Advanced Techniques
The second day at CIVTAK24 focused on specific application areas and advanced techniques:
- Michael Leckliter presented “Delivering Drone & Aviation Information to TAK”
- A panel discussed “Team Awareness Kit for SWAT Operations”
- Breakout sessions included “TAK on iOS 101” and “Create Your Own ATAK Plugin”
Afternoon sessions covered topics such as:
- Federal Cyber Policy & TAK Federation
- Geospatial Video Advances with TAK
- Exploiting CANbus data in TAK
- Humanitarian Use of TAK in Eastern Ukraine
The day concluded with a Town Hall discussion about the future of civilian TAK.
Day 3: Success Stories and Future Outlook
The final day featured:
- A closing discussion on the growth and sustainability of the civilian TAK community
- A roundtable discussion on “TAK infused Search and Rescue”
- A success story about the use of TAK in the North Carolina Flood Response
- International perspectives on civilian use of TAK
Outlook
CIVTAK24 impressively demonstrated the potential TAK offers for improving public safety and operations coordination. Although there are no official announcements yet, the success of this first conference gives hope that it could become a regular event to further promote exchange and development in the TAK ecosystem.
For organizations interested in implementing TAK, TAK Hub offers comprehensive support. From customized training to specialized server solutions, we can help you leverage the full potential of TAK for your operations.
CIVTAK24 has shown that TAK is far more than just software—it is a platform that fundamentally changes the way we coordinate and conduct operations. We look forward to continuing to accompany this development and helping our customers benefit from the advantages of this innovative technology.
Stay informed about the latest developments in the TAK ecosystem and learn about future conferences at civtakconf.com.
