This year’s FireFusion conference focuses on how technology can be used in training, leadership and operations to pave the way for departments to grow and improve. The conference program is designed to help you to navigate ethical and purchasing challenges while adopting new technology as well as utilizing existing technology in a smart manner when you return home.
Smart City/fire department connection
Chief Dan Munsey will provide the opening keynote. “The Fire Service’s Roadmap into Smart City Initiatives” will look at why fire departments must get involved at the local and national levels in the smart city conversation. This includes involving departments’ unique needs in the foundation of connected communities.
Marcus Claycomb and Kjeld Lindsted will look at how artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with connected vehicles, will enhance responses in the future by combining response routes, smart traffic signals and roadway data for quicker responses, with the goal of eliminating accidents.
Data & the firefighter
Col. Thomas J. Gordon, who is a retired U.S. Marine and is the current Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel, will present “Tools Change, People Matter: Principled Military Leadership for Today’s Fire Service.” The session, which is inspired by Gordon's book “Marine Maxims: Turning Leadership Principles Into Practice,” will spotlight how the military is shifting to use technology to build resilient teams and to use data to make decisions under pressure while developing more-prepared leaders.
Fire Chief Eloy Vega will talk about ethics and proper use of data and AI as they become tools in the daily lives of firefighters. Vega will combine personal experiences with his extensive research to help attendees to harness the power of AI while navigating ethical concerns to ensure trust within the department and from the public. The interactive session will include scenario-based exercises to help you to navigate the evolving applications.
High-tech devices & software
When it comes to the practice of drone as a first responder (DFR), the fire service is in hot pursuit of law enforcement, which often deploys drones to arrive before emergency units to provide situational awareness. Munsey will return to the stage to discuss how his department is pioneering DFR for dispatching the correct resources while reducing unneeded responses for a variety of 9-1-1 call types.
Deputy Chief Matt Shronts will show FireFusion attendees how the use of various technologies can bridge common firefighter training gaps. This includes data-driven decision-making programs that can help members to refine their training and improve their performance, including via custom training per member.
Blake Richardson and Dr. Joel Billings will showcase data from a study on using wearables for station alerting and how it effects firefighter sleep, rest periods and mental health without altering fire station design.
Once you’ve walked through the FireFusion Marketplace and sat in on educational sessions about the technology that you would like to bring to your department, what are the next steps? Last year’s FireFusion keynote presenter and Firehouse’s Fire Technology columnist, Jason Moore, will lead a discussion about navigating the purchasing process when it comes to technology. Moore will focus on key areas, who to include during the purchasing process to ensure seamless integration, and how to acquire technology based on short- and long-term plans.
Closing keynote
Closing out the conference will be Fire Chief (Ret.) John Oates. He will explore how wearables, from smartwatches to glasses, can help firefighters immediately while monitoring their health levels and then take that technology to the fireground to improve themselves and operations.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.
