The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) held both the 2020 Fire Apparatus, Safety and Maintenance Conference and the Health and Safety Conference mid-January in Scottsdale, Ariz. Each conference was well-attended, with attendance at the Health and Safety Conference surpassing last year’s attendance.
The keynote speaker for the safety forum, Colonel Royal P. Mortenson, director of the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) gave a dynamic speech on Leadership Maxims for the Individual: 12 Maxims that Define Who You Are as a Leader.
Both conferences were anchored by speakers who are at the top of their fields.
- Fire Chief Gregg Flynn, West Bloomfield, Mich., Fire Department, presented the Yellow Rose Campaign, an effort started by the Michigan Fire Chiefs and spreading across the country to encourage firefighter emotional wellness. He also gave a powerful presentation on change management within your department that could easily be carried over to companies, organizations, anywhere you find resistance to change.
- Dr. Jennifer Taylor, PhD, MPH, CPPS, from the Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends (FIRST) presented a compelling program with Kelly Adams from the Detroit Fire Department. Adams was the victim of a brutal attack while on a standard medical run. FIRST is undertaking a study to investigate the rise in attacks on Fire-based EMS workers. Adams’ story was incredibly moving and the work that Dr. Taylor and her team are undertaking is ground-breaking in this field.
- Jason Cerrano, business line leader for IDEX, spoke about the future, not only of driving technology, but also of technology that can be used on the fireground. “Your fire apparatus may be around in excess of 20 years. We want to expand your thought process when looking at trucks today, so a decade from now you aren’t driving a dinosaur,” he said.
Both conferences were also well-attended by an increased number of exhibitors. Next year’s conferences will be held Monday, January 18-Thursday, January 21, 2021 at the TradeWinds Island Grand in St Pete Beach, Fla. Registration will be open mid-2020.
About the FDSOA
The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) was established in 1989 as a non-profit association, incorporated in Massachusetts. In 2013, the offices moved to Michigan. Its mission is to promote safety standards and practices in the fire, rescue and emergency services community. The association is led by a volunteer board of directors and has a small staff to handle the day-to-day operations. The association is dedicated to the issues that affect the critical role of the safety officer in protecting and promoting the safety and health responsibilities of fire departments, communities and first responders. FDSOA works to helps fire departments achieve proficiency and promote the recognition of training, skills and a secure future. In May 2016, FDSOA won the Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award for its work over 28 years, “as an organization fully dedicated to the health and safety of the nation’s firefighters.”
