By Chris Mc Loone

Every year as FDIC International approaches, we start receiving new product press releases and news releases about what is about to be introduced at the show.

Some companies choose to remain tight-lipped, while others tease the fire industry with what is about to enter the market. As the teasers and press releases begin rolling in, we’re able to get an idea of various themes the show will have. In recent years, multipurpose apparatus emerged as a major theme. In other years, water movement has been a major theme as companies began offering rigs for industrial firefighting. At FDIC International 2018, the prevailing theme was technology, but not what you usually think about.

We’re not talking about technology built into trucks like multiplexing systems or touch screens or electric valves. There was still plenty of that, but we’re talking about technology at a much higher level.

The technology this year is about bringing the Internet of Things to fire apparatus and helping to create smart vehicles. It takes telemetry a step further and enables predictive maintenance based on what information a vehicle is communicating to the platform a department chooses. Think about updates to vehicle components happening over the air based on information sent to and received from the cloud. Or, think about vehicle readiness reports generated based on information pushed from vehicles or notifying the apparatus manufacturer and its dealer when a rig has to be taken out of service with information on the problem automatically. These are only a few examples, and as the systems become more and more sophisticated, the possibilities are endless.

Cancer prevention continued to be a prevailing theme this year. Apparatus manufacturers have now joined in the quest to help firefighters reduce their exposure to harmful contaminants found at structure fires. At FDIC International 2017, we saw many products introduced for personal protective equipment (PPE). This year, fire apparatus makers introduced their concepts to incorporate the “clean cab concept” into their truck designs. The innovations can be seen on cab interiors as well as exteriors.

3M Scott Fire & Safety also announced two donations to organizations working to educate firefighters on cancer awareness.

From an exhibit hall standpoint, many displays were massive this year. In some cases, these larger booths resulted from mergers and acquisitions, while others were the result of the time being right for different companies to expand their presence at the show. For example, MSA and Globe joined forces on the show floor for the first time, as did 3M and Scott Safety as they revealed their new branding, 3M Scott Fire & Safety.

I would be remiss if I did not mention two losses suffered by the fire industry right before and during FDIC International 2018.

On April 17, 2018, industry leader Bill Darley passed away at his home. Darley grew the W.S. Darley & Co. family business into an international business in firefighting equipment and manufacturing, led by the third- and fourth-generation family today. He traveled to 135 countries; was a fire industry leader; and served on boards such as Liberty Mutual, Dominican University, and the Catholic Charities’ Brighter Futures and LOSS programs.

On April 26, 2018, Ernest Kussmaul, founder of Kussmaul Electronics, passed away at the age of 88. He founded Kussmaul Electronics (KECO) in a small shop in 1967. The business grew as it expanded its extensive product line known for solutions for the emergency vehicle marke