INDIANAPOLIS --
About 30,000 firefighters are in Indianapolis for a convention at which they hone skills and hear from top experts in the field.
The Fire Department Instructor's Conference runs through Saturday at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.
Top fire instructors from all over the country will provide cutting-edge training and information about the latest in firefighting technology.
A lot of the focus of the conference is informing firefighters about how to deal with structural collapses and various types of rescues.
"I'm a training officer with my department. We train incumbent and new recruit firefighters," said Scott Lindsay, a firefighter from Canada. "We're going to take this stuff back, and we're putting together our own survival program."
Some of the training is teaching techniques to help firefighters save their own lives if something goes wrong.
"We want our firefighters to know what to do in an event that they get trapped in a fire," said Derek Alkonis, an instructor from the Los Angeles Fire Department. "That is what this training is all about."
Firefighters from central Indiana volunteer at the conference and get a special perk.
"Most of the firefighters in the local area get to attend the classes free, which is a good benefit," said Indianapolis Fire Chief Brian Sanford. "It saves a lot of money and gives them a lot of educational opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have." Indianapolis has been home to the conference since 1995 and it is contracted to stay in the city through 2012.
The conference is the third-largest event Indianapolis will host this year, behind the Final Four and FFA convention. It is expected to bring about $30 million in direct visitor spending to Indianapolis.
"It's a great convention town for a lot of reasons. First of all, the cooperation with the fire department and the fact that it is centrally located," said Anthony Granito, a firefighter from New York. "You get people from the East and West Coast. We hope it stays in Indianapolis for a long time."
Officials asked motorists to be aware of increased traffic just south of downtown all week.
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