Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar posed the following question to some of our FDIC International 2017 instructors:

"During the past year, was there an event, an occurrence, or a bit of knowledge you came across that moved you to think, "Wow! I must remember to include that in my FDIC class or workshop this year?"

Tiger Schmittendorf

“The greatest expectation of this Xbox generation is get clear expectations!” according to Tiger Schmittendorf, regarding his Monday, April 24 (8am-12pm), workshop, “From the Xbox to the Box Alarm: Understanding and Engaging Today’s Firefighters.” 

“My generation has unrealistic expectations of today’s generation. We assume that they should just know something that is common sense to us. A young Xbox generation firefighter and U.S. Marine recruiter, Alex Sutter of the Waldorf (MD) Volunteer Fire Department, immediately emphatically posed the question, “Do we need to hold up a sign that says, ‘I want your help. I want to learn from you?’ ”

“I immediately scrawled a makeshift sign that said exactly that. Before he could turn his sign toward the more seasoned firefighters, his fellow firefighter Ryan Allen edited the sign and chimed in, “We want your help. We want to learn from you!”

It was a breakthrough moment for the more experienced firefighters participating in the conversation, and reinforced my purpose for sharing the conversation: Changing our perspective that the Xbox generation are all ‘unmotivated-slackers’ to the more realistic one that most of them are simply starved for strong, effective leadership. 

“The harsh reality is that there is no alternate generation hanging out in a parallel universe waiting to swoop down and save the fire service. They are it. They’re here now, and they have many of the answers to how we can connect with them. We need to get on with the business of training our replacements.”

Tom Merrill

A video of an enraged motorist deliberately driving her car into the fire apparatus blocking the road is a new element in Tom Merrill’s Monday, April 24, 1:30pm-5:30pm afternoon workshop, “The Professional Volunteer Fire Department.” 

“She drove at a decent rate of speed into the front end of a pumper truck. Fortunately, no firefighters were injured, but certainly there was damage to the fire engine. Wow! If that doesn’t remind us that we are dealing with a different mindset today, nothing will.” 

 According to Merrill, it’s “just one example of how different the world is today and how much more scrutinizing the public is about everything─even when it comes to the operations of their local volunteer fire department.” 

“In years past, a volunteer fire department was a treasured community asset and, fortunately, still is in many areas,” he added. But “I am just a volunteer” cannot be used as a crutch today for poor performance, bad behavior, or for members not being held accountable. “It can be a nasty world out there, and nobody get a free pass,” according to Merrill. Paid or volunteer, it’s imperative to operate in a professional manner,” he concluded.

John K. Murphy 

“Most disturbing today is the amount of discrimination among our firefighters and the amazing amount of money paid out to resolve these issues,” John K. Murphy said, discussing his Monday, April 24 130pm to 530pm worksh

CHARLOTTE, Mich., April 24, 2017 – Spartan Emergency Response (“Spartan” or “Spartan ER”), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR), announced today the opening of its fire apparatus and fleet vehicle Refurbishment Centers to meet industry needs for a cost-effective approach to repair out-of-service, damaged and worn trucks in weeks or months for typically half the cost of a new vehicle. Details of the operations will be on display at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International April 24-29, at Spartan Motors’ booths #3037, #4007 and #4321, at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis.

With seven centers and 35 bays located across Spartan campuses in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska and South Dakota, the process offers a complete range of services and refurbishments from light repairs and refreshes to full cab and chassis replacements and re-certifications. While keeping safety top-of-mind, refurbishments can include new ladders, pump replacements, fixture repair or replacement, insurance repair work, new chassis or any combination for departments or municipalities looking for a cost-effective way to upgrade their fleet without the capital expense associated with purchasing a new vehicle.

“Departments across the country are battling aging fleets and trucks out of service. The country is asking its emergency response vehicles to not only last longer, but to perform more reliably over a longer period of time. There is a huge need for efficient and economical fleet repair that keeps our first responders safe on the way to and from a fire or rescue,” said Daryl Adams, President and CEO, Spartan Motors. “That’s why Spartan is introducing its Refurbishment Centers. From the minute our customer’s truck pulls into our Refurbishment Center’s service bay, we’re on the lookout for how to improve safety, increase performance, and ensure we stay within their budget.”

In addition to the debut of its Refurbishment Centers; at FDIC Spartan will display its S-180 Pumper – representing Spartan’s custom-built pumper lineup manufactured and delivered in half the time of any competitor – as well as: two Spartan Gladiator® cabs and chassis; a Transformer™ pumper; a 100’ rear mount platform; a UST elliptical tanker; an IPS pumper; a 105’ tractor drawn aerial; a 75’ rear mount aerial; a 100’ mid-mount platform; a UST wet side tanker; and custom rear-, side- and top-mount pumpers. Spartan will display in booths #3037, #4007 and #4321, showcasing Spartan cabs and chassis and complete apparatus, as well as Smeal and UST products.

For more information on the Spartan’s Refurbishment Centers, visit www.spartanmotors.com/truck-refurb. For more information on FDIC, visit www.fdic.com.

About Spartan Motors

Spartan Motors, Inc. is a leading designer, engineer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty vehicles, specialty chassis, vehicle bodies and parts for the fleet and delivery, recreational vehicle (RV), emergency response, defense forces and contract assembly (light/medium duty truck) markets. The Co

W.S. Darley and Hoverfly have teamed up to bring you some live unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, a.k.a. drone) video from the FDIC International 2017 hands-on training sites. Watch above.

Building a Fire Department UAV Program

Drones and the Fire Service

Drones Poised to Be Used on More Fire Scenes Across the United States

FDNY Deploys Drone at Building Fire

FDNY Drone Pics

Monday morning’s workshop, “The ATF Fire Research/Arson Program: What the Fire Service Needs to Know,” had few empty seats. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) instructor team reviewed the results the ATF’s fire research on Fire Attack Hoseline Thermal Failure and Fire Flow Path Thermal Analysis and applied them to several recent case studies, including firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs).

Fire dynamics topics specific to these cases were also discussed in detail, using testing data and testing videos and both bench-scale and full-scale hoseline testing were presented. The Fire Attack Hoseline Thermal Failure research was presented to National Fire Protection Association 1961 committee in 2016 and prompted it to adopt the first ever radiant heat test for all listed hoselines.

How to Become a Fire Investigator | ANTIARSON EFFORTS | IN THE COVER OF DARKNESS: ARSONIST STRIKES