All records fall during 33rd F. D. I. C. in Memphis
—All photos courtesy Memphis Fire Department
ATTENDANCE RECORDS set in 1960 fell by the wayside at the opening session of the 33rd Annual Fire Department Instructors Conference on February 28 last. More than 2,600 persons registered on the first day and before the gathering adjourned on March 3, the figure had topped 3,000. Fire fighters and fire protection personnel from 47 states, Canada. Labrador, Yugoslavia and Portugal were on hand. The Memphis Fire Department, under the direction of Chief Edward A. Hamilton, co-chairman of the event, handled the unexpectedly large turnout without fault and the traditional luncheons were served quickly and efficiently each day.
The business program under Chairman Emmett T. Cox, Fire Prevention Department, Western Actuarial Bureau, kept tire huge audience alert to every item and each talk or demonstration seemed to exceed its predecessor in timeliness and interest.
The weather cooperated to the extent that both afternoon schedules for outdoor demonstrations were carried out. The Tuesday demonstration period was on tlie cool side, but by Wednesday the temperature was approaching the balmy.
All attendees were enthusiastic over the success of the conference and Chief Hamilton’s invitation to hold the 34th F.D.I.C. in Memphis on February 27 through March 2, 1962, was greeted with heavy applause.
As is usual, the NFPA Fire Service Training Committee met in Memphis on Monday, February 27. Twentythree of the 29 members were present when Chairman Cox opened the session. A reorganization of the committee was announced to facilitate operations. The new organization will consist of an executive committee and four divisions as follows: Special Projects, State Training Division, Municipal Training Division and Fire Prevention and Standards Division. Each division will have subcommittees as required and the chairmen of the latter will report directly to the division chairman. The Building Collapse Subcommittee which had been in operation for some years was disbanded, as much of the technical matters concerned are now being handled by other NFPA committees. Before adjournment it was announced that a meeting of the Executive Committee will be held in Detroit during the forthcoming NFPA conference in May. The next regular meeting of the main committee will bo held in Memphis on February 26, 1962.
