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FDIC 2006 - Training The Best Firefighters In The World
Indianapolis, IN - The April 27 Main Program started off with an introduction by Fire Engineering Editor in Chief Bobby Halton, during which he shared his thoughts on the mission of FDIC and Fire Engineering. "In the next two days you will sit in more than 160 classroom sessions and special sessions, where the best and brightest in our industry will sit as students and then stand in other rooms as instructors," said Halton. "New faces are among us, instructors from across the country and around the world, who have come to share issues and concerns, to relate their experiences in our work as firefighters. This sharing, this exchange of issues and concerns is what the missions of Fire Engineering and FDIC are all about."
The best instructors in the world gather each year at FDIC to foster this exchange of ideas. This year, almost 500 instructors arrived at FDIC to instruct, not to mention the thousands more who attended the workshops, evolutions, and classroom sessions. Despite these numbers, Halton contends that it is not about the instructors or him during FDIC. "What I believe is that when it comes to serious training, it is not about you or me or the incredible world class instructors that join us this week," said Halton. "It is always about the mission, the job, the work. Our glorious work. I believe our mission this week is to train the best firefighters in the world. I believe our mission this week is to learn as much as we can and then to go home and share what we have learned here at FDIC 2006." To that end, Halton challenged everyone in attendance to ensure they stay focused on that mission. "[To make sure we stay focused] and take advantage of all the opportunities that these wonderful fellow firefighters have provided to us, I will ask you to stand up with me and greet this opportunity with the zeal and passion that only world class firefighters can bring to training."
The remainder of the main program paid tribute to those who have accepted this mission via the Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award, The Fire Engineering Training Achievement Award and the Joe Fishelson Award, and by presentations by R. David Paulison, Acting Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Steve Abraira, Chief (Ret.), Dallas (TX) Fire-Rescue Department.
