BALTIMORE, Md. -- Fire, rescue and EMS personnel from across the nation have descended on this city once again for a few days of courses and networking.
Firehouse Expo -- now 25 years young -- has more to offer this year than ever before, said Harvey Eisner, director of the show and editor-in-chief of Firehouse Magazine.
For the first time, EMS classes are being included. With that, there are more displays and vendors participating as well.
Eisner said it's been an honor to continue Dennis Smith's dream to bring Firehouse Magazine to life.
While other fire service shows focus on instructors and training for future officers, Firehouse Expo is geared toward the firefighter on the street.
Courses include everything from building construction to apparatus design, firefighter fitness, various firefighting tactics and operations classes and recruiting and retaining personnel.
Over the next few days, commanders will also take a look at some major incidents, and discuss why decisions were made.
The standing room only crowd was silent as J. Gordon Routley reviewed the Charleston furniture store fire that claimed nine firefighters.
"The best way to honor these nine firefighters is to listen, and make sure the same things don't happen again."
Routley said when he presented the findings of the review panel to the fallen firefighters' families in May, they encouraged him to share information with others.
"They are a very proud fire department, a well dressed and well polished fire department," he said, adding that they were very proud of their ISO rating of 1 -- which they display on equipment, logos and stations.
Routley gave a brief overview of the South Carolina city, and its demographics before getting into the design of the store where the firefighters met their deaths.
The panel determined the store had been renovated without the knowledge of city officials. Therefore, things were not built to code.
Some firefighters shook their heads in disbelief as Routley described the firefighting tactics that included no truck operations. All the personnel jumped off their engines and headed into the store.
He described a frustrated, but courageous firefighter who eventually went out on foot in search of a hydrant when the one he'd planned to use was gone.
When he ran out of hose, he coupled other sections together.
Routley explained the radio and communications issues including the fact that no one on the fire ground knew people inside were in danger. Listening to the tapes, the word "Mayday" was used only once.
The trapped firefighters mentioned not being able to find exits or losing the hose line. When he said Charleston had no RIT team in place nor a plan to rescue personnel in peril, some of the audience gasped.
As the photographs of the Charleston 9 flashed on the screen, the firefighters rose from their seats. Many wiped away tears.
