A few weeks ago, following a local Baltimore Expo committee meeting, I visited the site in Baltimore where a new motion picture titled "Ladder 49," starring John Travolta, was being filmed. The site of the shoot was not far from the Inner Harbor. I met with some of the production staff and was allowed on the set inside a church during the rehearsal of a scene. Filming was scheduled to continue until the beginning of July. As I write this editorial we are working to have a representative from the film company on hand during the Expo opening ceremonies on July 24, to screen clips from this new firefighting movie, which is scheduled to be released in 2004.
Over the last 20 years, the Firehouse Expo has undergone an amazing transformation. The number of professional information programs that have been presented has grown by leaps and bounds. The Baltimore Convention Center has been enlarged to more than twice its original size. The antique and modern apparatus parade and flea market have been held at many locations during the past 20 years. For the first few years, the flea market was held on Sundays on a pier at the Inner Harbor. Later, it had to be moved to Festival Hall. The exhibits and apparatus were moved into the newly constructed exhibit hall a few years ago to allow the exhibit floor to expand.
We have been proud to present some of the most dynamic fire service leaders and speakers who have educated our firefighters, company officers and chiefs over these many years. Many personal highlights include Oklahoma City Fire Chief Gary Marrs, who described the events surrounding the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building Explosion; District Chief Mike McNamee of Worcester, MA, who courageously explained the circumstances of the fire where six firefighters were killed in a vacant cold storage warehouse; and FDNY Chief of Safety Al Turi, who reviewed the Astoria Father's Day 2001 hardware store fire and explosion where three firefighters were killed.
The addition of Hands-On Training has made a world of difference to today's firefighters. We would like to acknowledge the work of Battalion Chief Robert Cobb, Jersey City Fire Department, who has been appointed as Hands-On Training Coordinator for the Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World and Firehouse On The Road programs. Providing safe and effective training that they may not be able to receive closer to home will better enable these firefighters for the dangerous mission we have chosen. We have heard from experience that these educational sessions have made a difference in making fire operations safer, firefighters, officers and chiefs smarter, and brought the fire service closer as a whole.
Over these 20 years we have met a lot of people and made a lot of friends. I would like to thank the many people over the years who have helped make this show a success. The local planning committee, Firehouse® Magazine staff, Cygnus Expositions staff, nationally recognized speakers, instructors, panel members and hardworking assistants who have made these shows possible. A tip of the helmet to the attendees and the exhibitors, without whom we could have never presented such a terrific event as the Firehouse Expo. See you in Baltimore next month. For information on the Firehouse Expo see pages 107-109.
We are already working on plans to work with the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore City Fire Department to host a centennial celebration during the 2004 Firehouse Expo to commemorate the Feb. 7, 1904, Baltimore fire that destroyed the city's downtown section. Apparatus and manpower responded from as far as New York City.
