More than 200 hazmat professionals came together afterhours at the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ hazmat conference to swap stories, socialize and raise money to help firefighters who have been diagnosed with cancer.
For the sixth year, Hazmat Nation and HazSim hosted its event at Pete’s Pour House. And for the second consecutive year, the gathering was used to raise funds for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
“Once again, we had a great turnout of passionate hazmat leaders who want to learn, train and find ways to better protect their communities,” said Phil Ambrose, inventor and CEO of HazSim. “Best of all, this year we were able to raise more than three times as much money for FCSN as we did last year. That speaks volumes about the type of people who make up the hazmat community.”
Attendees could donate directly to FCSN or purchase a hazmat hat specially designed and donated by Hazmat Nation and HazSim — all proceeds from the hat sales went to FCSN.
“It is so encouraging to move from group to group and hear everyone sharing their hazmat training successes and challenges,” Ambrose said of the event. “Getting out there and training, and training often, is the key to positive outcomes on any call involving a hazardous material.”
To drive that point home, Ambrose had HazSim’s new Pro 3 version at the gathering for attendees to try out.
“We let anyone who wanted to, do a mini hazmat gas detection training right there a Pete’s Pour House,” Ambrose said. “It goes to show, if you want to train badly enough, you can do it just about anywhere — even at a crowded historic, two-story bar in downtown Baltimore.”
As in previous years, the event included industry sponsors such as All Safe Industries, Dupont, First Line Technology, Kappler and Safeware.
About HazSim
HazSim is a firefighter-developed training platform that teaches hazmat responders how to use gas detectors during hands-on training evolutions using real-time readings, without the use of actual hazardous materials. The software and handheld device can be configured to replicate most major gas detectors on the market.
About Hazmat Nation
Hazmat Nation is an online publication dedicated to providing critical information to help hazmat responders be safer and more effective during training and operations.
About FCSN
Since 2005, the nonprofit Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) has provided assistance and one-on-one mentoring to thousands of cancer-stricken firefighters and their families. FCSN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with more than 250 volunteers nationwide. For more details, please visit firefightercancersupport.org.
