FireFusion Preview: Moving the Fire Service Forward Through Technology

FireFusion, which is slated to take place in Charleston, SC, this fall, provides a limited number of seats to attend this new conference. It’s focused on technology and it’s critical role in the fire service. Educational and product offerings are designed to look at how technology is being used by fire departments across the country today, with a preview of what’s to come in the fire service in the future.

Keynote announced
The keynote address presenter for FireFusion is Fire Chief (Ret.) Jason Moore, who authors Firehouse’s Fire Technology column. In “Fusing Tradition and Tech,” Moore will challenge FireFusion attendees to break away from the barriers that are implied by the old saying, “200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress,” while highlighting the many opportunities that firefighters have to implement technology.

Moore will look at how every aspect of life today, from structures and in-home products to vehicles and travel, has adopted technology and how some of that adoption brings additional challenges to the fire service. Moore, who is a founding member of the Indiana University Crisis Technologies Innovation Lab, will help attendees to balance the technology equation while adding new tools to the fire service toolbox. Moore will illustrate why technology shouldn’t be looked at as a replacement for what’s done today and provide reasoning for why the fire service, which has worked for almost 300 years, must embrace technological advancements for improved training and operations.

Understanding data
One of the big takeaways from the implementation of new technologies in the fire service is data, but how do you make heads or tails of it? Join John Oates for an in-depth session regarding what data means to the fire service and how you and your department can take advantage of various data sets to prepare your organization and to understand trends that can affect your department’s training, responses and equipment cycles.

Leadership Walking Tour
Limited spaces are available for the interactive Leadership Walking Tour through the city of Charleston. The session, which will be led by Charleston Fire Department members, will combine leadership, the city’s rich history and fire service-specific tasks.

The program promises to instill leadership practices as well as to promote engaging discussions about leadership principles from over the decades. Current and future fire service leaders will benefit from this unique opportunity to talk leadership while walking through the historic city, with its long fire service history, combined with a strong military history in the region. The program includes stops at key points in the city and some of Charleston’s most historic firehouses, where Charleston-specific leadership lessons will be discussed.

FireFusion Marketplace
FireFusion will feature a marketplace area where select vendors who provide the latest technologies and innovations to the fire service will be available. With multiple opportunities throughout the event to visit marketplace sponsors, firefighters can talk to the manufacturers directly about the technologies that they provide to the fire service now and will offer in the future. This gives attendees an opportunity to know and plan for future purchases, whether it’s training, equipment, personnel management or various other tools.