Join us in Columbus, OH, next month for the 37^th annual Firehouse Expo. We’re excited to be back together this year and look forward to showcasing Columbus and all that it has to offer. The city is protected by the world-class Columbus Division of Fire (CFD), and the department works hand in hand with surrounding cities, using a no-borders approach to getting the closest fire and EMS resources to the scene as quickly as possible.

In addition to the CFD and the fire departments in Franklin County, Firehouse is working with the Ohio Fire Academy to provide hands-on training and other educational opportunities.

We will offer a combination of more than 90 hands-on trainings, pre-conference workshops and classroom sessions, which cover a variety of topics, from search and hoseline operations, to incident command and the latest in EMS technology.

Here, we wanted to highlight other must-attend activities during Firehouse Expo.

Despite two days of hands-on training and pre-conference workshops prior to the opening of the exhibits, Firehouse Expo officially kicks off Sept. 16 with the opening ceremonies and keynote address.

You won’t want to miss Brian Brush’s keynote, “Mission, Metrics and Vision.” Brush is the chief of training in Midwest City, OK, and the founder of the Firefighter Rescue Survey. In his keynote, he will look at metrics of fires compared with 50 years ago when the “America Burning” report was published. Although the number of fires is down, the threat of complacency is real when it comes to a fire service that’s prepared to battle the next blaze and to rescue victims, preventing a tragedy. Brush will share how the fire service can recalibrate its mission and support the vision of vigilance that firefighters and citizens expect today.

Also part of the opening ceremonies, Firehouse will honor the Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor recipient and induct four longtime Firehouse contributors into the Firehouse Hall of Fame: Steve Austin and Curt Varone from the Class of 2020 and Ron Moore and Tom W. Shand from the Class of 2021. This will be a great opportunity to thank the four men for their commitment to the fire service through Firehouse.

Also during the opening ceremonies, attendees will pause to remember the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their life on 9/11 at the World Trade Center in a special tribute.

Firehouse Expo attendees return year after to year for education on a myriad of topics, but the focus on lessons learned from fire and rescue incidents continues to pack the classroom. This year, several presenters share what they learned at incidents that captured national headlines:

Nashville’s Christmas Day Bombing—Capt. Scott Burgess, who was the initial incident commander for the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that detonated in downtown Nashville on Dec. 25, 2020, will look at how EMS, suppression, hazmat and USAR crews operated at the blast. Burgess will share how work with local, state and federal authorities was key to bringing the incident under control.

LODDs, Close Call Incident Save Ohio Firefighters—Chief Allen Walls will share the lessons learned in Colerain Township, OH, following the death of two firefighters as well as a close call, which were put to use years later to save the lives of several firefighters. “Tribulation, Tragedy and Triumph: A Close Call, a Double LODD and the Lessons Learned” is an in-depth look at these incidents and how you can apply the elements of them to prevent firefighter injuries or deaths.

Ohio Middle School Shooting—Deputy Chief Kai Rieger will explain how the tragic self-inflicted shooting of a teenager activated several agencies for a possible mass shooting at the Jackson Memorial Middle School in Jackson Township, OH. Rieger will share the outlines as the event went from a suicide to a large-scale operation and look at each layer of the response.

Chicago Water Reclamation Plant Explosion—Join Tim Walsh, who was chief of special operations for the 2018 explosion, as he details the incident, including rescue operations to remove several trapped workers and the command structure that was needed to handle the incident.

Between classroom sessions, visit the exhibit hall to meet with manufacturers. In addition to spending time with our sponsors, check the schedule for the various daily roundtables and product demonstrations at the Firehouse Expo stage. Speakers and attendees will discuss a range of topics, from developing pride and motivation for the latest generation of firefighters, to overcoming leadership challenges, to today’s tactics.

We also partnered with the Illinois Fire Service Institute, All Hazards (A University of Findlay Training Center) and Insight Training to host various demonstrations in their respective booths each day. Demonstrations include rapid intervention and search techniques, thermal imaging skills and railroad tank car tactics.

You may check FirehouseExpo.com for the schedules or find the schedule locations on signage as you enter the exhibit hall.

Social Activities

First Annual FireFest

Friday, Sept. 17, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

We’re excited to host FireFest, which is a new annual social event that features food, drinks, and networking with firefighters and exhibitors from across the country, at Columbus Fire Fighters Local 67 union hall, Station 67. The renovated train station is packed with CFD history and provides a great view of downtown Columbus, where the free event will allow you to reconnect with or meet new brothers and sisters.

Madison Township Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 2507 9/11 Charity Event

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Madison Township Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 2507 will host a special 9/11 Charity Event to help Motts Military Museum raise funds for its facility, which includes FDNY Tower Ladder 18, which was crushed by the collapsing buildings at the World Trade Center. The museum is home to the second-largest collection of 9/11 artifacts in the United States. This event is exclusive to Firehouse Expo attendees and includes a visit to the museum as well as to the local BrewDog brewery. Limited tickets are available.

Exhibit Floor Networking Reception

Thursday, Sept. 16, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Kick off the opening of the Firehouse Expo exhibit floor at the Welcome Reception with food, drinks, and access to all of the vendors, suppliers and manufacturers who will showcase the latest products and services.

Friday, Sept. 17, 7:30–10:30 a.m.

Firehouse and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) have partnered to host a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Huntington Park, which is home to the Columbus Clippers Triple-A baseball team. The fundraiser, which mimics the 110 flights of stairs that firefighters faced inside of the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers on 9/11, allows climbers to reflect on the 20^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks with each step that they take.

The Ohio State University Football

Saturday, Sept. 18, 3:30 p.m.

The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane just as Firehouse Expo wraps up. Limited tickets are available on various sports ticketing sites, but the experience around the Buckeye’s game promises to be memorable. (Firehouse Expo doesn’t have any direct tie-ins to the football game.)