Packed Aisles Mark Successful FDIC International 2019

BY CHRIS Mc LOONE

It’s never easy to put into words what the FDIC International experience is. This year, I have to say I would sum up my experience with one word: traffic.

During the course of three days’ worth of exhibits, I find myself traversing the show floor many, many times. According to my fitness tracker, my average number of steps on the exhibit days was 18,814. And, for all of them I found myself stuck in traffic. I’ve been doing this routine for a while now, and I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how long it takes to get from place to place. But, every time I went to make my way to another location, the number of people in the aisles slowed me down more than normal this year—which is a great thing.

No doubt this year saw even more products than last year designed with reducing firefighter exposure to carcinogens in mind. Whether wipes, clean cabs, particulate-blocking personal protective equipment (PPE), or others, there is a concerted effort industrywide to help firefighters reduce their exposure to harmful contaminants or decon themselves after exiting a contaminated atmosphere.

The exhibits continued to perfectly complement the hands-on training and classroom instruction firefighters received all week. After using and discussing many of the products on the floor, firefighters got to see them up close and personal during the exhibits and got to talk to, many times, the product managers who helped develop the products.

In terms of my own observations, technology continues to be a focal point of the industry, making our fire apparatus smarter and improving the quality of technology we carry with us to help locate victims or our own crews. PPE manufacturers continue to enhance their product offerings for comfort and protection—which is not an easy combination to master while maintaining maximum breathability.

I did notice a lot of “buzz” around aerial products this year, as many manufacturers worked to enhance existing product lines as well create new ones. More and more, fire apparatus builders are working with their vendors to help end users build rigs that m