The Public Safety Group Blog

The 2023 Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is right around the corner. This conference, which is April 24 – 29 in Indianapolis, provides fire professionals—particularly leaders and instructors—a venue to collaborate and learn.

Public Safety Group has combed through the agenda to pick out the key themes to explore at this year’s show. Let's dive in.

Instructor Training and Development

The FDIC conference for firefighters is always known for its hands-on training (H.O.T.) and education sessions and workshops for fire and rescue instructors, and we expect 2023 to be no different. These sessions cover the latest technology, techniques, and strategies in the fire service and are led by industry icons. These 4- and 8-hour sessions will be offered both in the morning and afternoon, with specific topics including:

• Advanced Vehicle Extrication
• Fire Tactics for Limited Staffing
• Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training
• Live Fire: Critical Actions for First-Arriving Crews

The courses are ideal for educators looking to improve their own firefighter instruction, offering in-depth insights into timely fire and rescue topics that professionals may be facing in the field. Most of the sessions count as EMS credit hours as well.

Safety

The 2023 FDIC will cover a wide range of safety topics that instructors can adapt to their own departments as they see fit. Specifically, this year's conference will offer a wide range of workshops, classroom sessions, and H.O.T. courses that cover the most important safety topics in the industry today. 

Fire Attack Methods

Instructors have an important responsibility to stay up to date on the latest fire attack methods, including strategies on how to best assess and approach a fire. From fog attacks and direct attacks to combination methods, being able to properly assess a situation and make the right plan of attack can save lives and property.

The 2023 FDIC conference promises to offer some specific sessions and training on fire attack methods, including H.O.T. courses on interior fire attacks, organizing the fireground, and modern fire behavior. Captain Sean Gray of Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency Services will also be presenting a session on an innovative fire attack strategy: attacking from the burned side.

Behavioral and Mental Health

More than ever, departments across the globe are focusing on behavioral and mental health efforts. This is especially important when you consider that about 30% of first responders develop mental health disorders at some point during their career. From acute stress disorder (ASD) to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more, fire and rescue professionals are prone to mental health struggles because of their high-stress and high-pressure jobs.

Departments across the globe are beginning to recognize the importance of providing training and resources for fire and rescue professionals to better recognize signs of mental health disorders and seek help as needed. During this year's FDIC conference, there will be a number of sessions covering such topics as mental health, trauma, and suicide among fire and rescue workers. Specific session topics will include:

• Rethinking First Responder Mental Health and Trauma (Led by Dena Ali, Battalion Chief, Raleigh NC Fire Department)
• Straight Talk: Let's Discuss Suicide (Led by Daniel DeGryse, Battalion Chief (Ret.) Director of Chicago Fire Department)
• Health and Wellness for Women in the Fire Service (Led by Amy Hanifan, President of Women in Fire and Operations Chief of McMinnville OR Fire Department)

Recruiting and Diversity

This is an important topic in the fire service. Even with efforts to improve diversity within the field, 2020 data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) shows that 9% of firefighters are women, and 82% of all firefighters are white and non-Hispanic.

Inclusion and diversity in the fire service is important when it comes to gaining the respect and support of the community. Fire departments with more inclusive and diverse staffs also benefit from the broader perspectives and different experiences that these workers can then bring into their own work.

As part of this year's FDIC conference, Bobbie Scopa (Deputy Director for Fire Operations at the US Forest Service) will lead a session entitled "Are You Even a Leader?" This session will focus on the unique responsibility that fire instructors have to think about their behavior as it relates to diversity in the workplace, providing insightful tips on how to be better leaders that don't rely on quotas and mandatory diversity training to make a difference.

This year's FDIC event will also feature a dedicated "Women in Fire Conference," which will include a wide range of classes that provide unique training, advocacy, and support for women in the fire service.

See You At FDIC!

Several experts affiliated with Public Safety Group will be speaking at this year’s conference. See below:

• Training as a Method for Risk Reduction in the Volunteer Fire Service —Taught by: Joe Nedder, Deputy Chief of Training, Mendon (MA) Fire Department, and author of Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews: Principals and Practice;
• Avoiding Warehouse Disasters: A 21^st Century Approach — Taught by: Glenn Corbett, Associate Professor at John Jay College/CUNY New York City, and author of Brannigan’s Building Construction for the Fire Service, Sixth Edition;
• Failing to Teach or Teaching to Fail? — Taught by: Dave Casey, Former Superintendent of the Florida State Fire College, and co-author of Live Fire Training: Principles and Practice, Second Edition;
• Instructor and Training Officer Graduate School 2023 — Taught by: Forest Reeder, Chief (Ret.) Tinley Park (IL) Fire Department and author of Fire and Emergency Services Instructor: Principles and Practice, Third Edition

Public Safety Group is looking forward to attending this year's FDIC conference and being a part of the future of the field. For educators looking to provide their fire and rescue students with the best resources out there, we offer a large catalog of fire and EMS content/products that cover the most timely and important topics in the industry today. Be sure to check out our display, explore our catalog offerings online, and reach out for assistance in placing an order.