Numerous special sessions and new features await at the upcoming Firehouse World 2010 conference and exposition, set for Feb. 28 – March 4 in San Diego, Calif.
Among the most anticipated events is a tech rescue class featuring a review of operations during the recent earthquake in Haiti, by Larry Collins, Battalion Chief, USAR Task Force 103, Los Angeles County Fire Department. "That should be a real highlight – something of course we hadn't anticipated, but I do believe that we will get a tremendous presentation from him," said Harvey Eisner, Editor-in-Chief of Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse World Program Director.
The session will cover structure collapse emergencies, including 10 steps for commanding structure collapse operations, and will include a specific emphasis on response to terrorist attacks resulting in structural failure. Discussions will focus on real-world experiences including scenarios encountered in Haiti.
Another top event will be the keynote address by John Maclean, author of three books on wildfire disasters, including Fire on the Mountain. Maclean, a firefighter with the Seeley Lake Volunteer FD in Montana, is working on a fourth book about the Esperanza Fire in California, which killed five firefighters, and the trial of the arsonist Raymond Oyler. He'll be discussing the case – the first in which an arsonist has ever been convicted of murder for setting a wildland fire - and its potential impact as a precedent.
A new aspect to this year's show is that for the first time, Firehouse World has partnered and co-located with the California State Firefighters' Association and their annual conference. Attendees of each conference are welcomed and encouraged to participate in both conferences' classes, outings and networking events.
"That's all in partnership with us for the first time," Eisner said. He specifically recommends three classes from the CFSA: Detecting Narcotics Tampering; Dealing with Substance Abuse in the Firehouse; and Effects of the Ricci Case, which examines last year's lawsuit in Connecticut involving race, testing and promotions. Eisner notes that numerous presentations in the main conference this year also focus on promotional topics.
Another highlight of the conference will be the recording of numerous Firehouse.com podcasts. All attendees are invited to attend the following podcast sessions in Room 17B:
Tuesday, March 2
12:00 - 1:30 The Buzz on Technical Rescue Live with Bob Duemmel1:45 - 3:15 High Rise Firefighting - Using the Regional Approach with Ed Hadfield3:30 - 5:00 Initial Command: Success in the First Moments of the Firefight with Ed Hadfield
Wednesday, March 3 8:30 - 10:00 Apparatus Architects Live with Tom Shand and Michael Wilbur11:00 - 12:00 The Leader's Toolbox Live with Dr. Richard Gasaway12:00 - 1:30 Wildland Firefighting Roundtable with Firehouse.com1:45 - 3:15 Command and Control of Strip Mall Fires with Ed Hadfield
Thursday, March 4
10:15 - 11:45 Wildland Firefighting Roundtable with Firehouse.com
For more on the show from Harvey Eisner, Show Manager Mary Velline, and Firehouse.com Editor Peter Matthews, listen to their podcast at http://www.firehouse.com/podcast/news-events/firehouse-world-2010-preview.
For more on Firehouse World, visit http://www.firehouseworld.com.
