We're broadcasting live every day from the Indianapolis Convention Center during the week of FDIC International 2017! Today's hangout features Anthony Kastros and Ed Hadfield (of the "Command Post" show), Larry Conley, and Bill Greenwood (of "Tap the Box.")

Watch in the player above.

Sutphen Corporation’s SLR 75 introduced at FDIC International 2016. (Photo by Tim Olk.)

By Chris Mc Loone

At FDIC International 2016, Sutphen introduced its first rear-mount aerial as it revealed its SLR 75 for the first time to attendees. According to Alissa McGlone, marketing and trade show manager for Sutphen, the company will be building on the positive response its first rear-mount aerial has received. “Sutphen continues to focus on growing our already extensive line of aerial products at this year’s FDIC,” says McGlone. “We will release the newest member of our rear-mount aerial ladder product line, the SLR 108. We’ve had tremendous response to the SLR 75 we unveiled last year, so we are excited to keep that momentum going with the 108-foot version.”

FDIC International is a suitable venue for such an introduction, given its importance for meeting current and potential end users. “For Sutphen, the most important part of exhibiting at FDIC is meeting the attendees who come from all over the United States and internationally,” comments McGlone. “There’s nothing we love more than meeting with attendees from all ranks in the fire service and talking to them about their job and how Sutphen can make a different in their departments and their jobs.” McGlone adds that Sutphen’s mission is to build the safest, most reliable fire apparatus in the world through innovation and customer focus. “It is the connection we make with the attendees at FDIC that makes that mission a reality for us,” she says. “We speak to them about the challenges they face on the job and how our apparatus can help. We take those conversations back to the factory and get to work. FDIC gives us the opportunity to meet with more firefighters than we could anywhere else.

And, according to McGlone, the conference and exhibition also benefit attendees by exposing them to the best of the best. “They have the opportunity to see the best of the best that is available in the fire service industry,” she says. “There are advancements being made constantly, and new products are being released every year. Even if they were here last year or the year before, they’re guaranteed to see something and exciting this year.”

McGlone explains further why firefighters and suppliers should not want to miss this event. “FDIC International has proven to be the best of the best, year after year. Whether it is educational classes, hands-on training, or checking out the best that the industry has to offer in products, you can’t go wrong by making the trip as an attendee,” she says. “If you are a supplier in the industry and want to get up close and personal with the fire and EMS professionals that will use your products, you don’t want to miss this show.

FDIC International attendees can see Sutphen’s new SLR 108 at booth 3123.

For more information, visit www.sutphen.com.

DJI, a leader in unmanned aerial technology, recently unveiled the new Matrice 200 drone series (M200), which is purpose-built for professional users to perform aerial inspections and collect data. 

The M200 series’ folding body is easy to carry and easy to set up, with a weather- and water-resistant body, ideal for field operations. It offers DJI’s first upward-facing gimbal mount, opening up the undersides of bridges, towers, and other structures to inspection. It is compatible with DJI’s powerful X4S and X5S cameras, as well as the high-powered Z30 zoom camera and the XT camera for thermal imaging. It has a forward-facing first-person view camera, allowing a pilot and a camera operator to monitor separate images on dual controllers. Its safety features include obstacle avoidance sensors facing forward, up and down, as well as an ADS-B receiver for advisory traffic information from nearby manned aircraft. With a dual-battery setup, the M200 platform can fly for up to 35 minutes with a mounted camera.

“Drones have quickly become a standard part of the enterprise toolkit and industrial users have come to rely on DJI technology to efficiently collect aerial data,” said Paul Guo, Director Enterprise Solutions at DJI. “With the M200 series, DJI introduces a holistic solution designed specifically for these users. We are revolutionizing professional workflows by making it possible to use advanced sensors in various combinations to make sophisticated tasks such as bridge inspections, land surveying, and search-and-rescue missions easier, safer, and more reliable than ever before.” 

The M200 series is designed for professionals using drones for more precise, efficient, and safe aerial data collection. Examples of industry applications include:

• Public Safety—When time is of essence and weather conditions turn foul, first responders require a versatile and reliable aerial platform. Carrying visual and/or thermal sensors, the M200 provides situational awareness of potentially dangerous situations such as fires, searches, and natural disasters. Incident commanders can use data collected by the M200 to make smarter and better decisions, protecting life and property while minimizing the safety risk to rescue personnel.
• Critical Infrastructure Inspections—Work near power lines, telecommunications towers, and bridges puts inspectors at risk of falls and electric shock. DJI’s M200 improves safety as work can be done from a distance. The M200 can identify millimeter-sized faults in buildings, roads and bridges in real time, making those operations more safe, efficient, and effective.
• Construction Site Mapping—Surveying and mapping often need to be conducted regardless of weather conditions and other external factors. The M200 is a rugged platform designed to handle tough conditions. The M200 gives construction site managers an efficient tool to review progress and workflow, ensuring more efficient use of resources.

Standard and Pro versions
The M200 series comes in three versions. The standard M200 is equipped with one downward-facing gimbal mount. The M210 opens up for multiple payload configurations—one single downward facing gimbal mount, two parallel downward-facing gimbal mounts, or one upward-facing gimbal mount. The M210 features additional connectivity ports to support third-party sensors and accessories. The M210 has the capability to support additional sensors in the future, and additional payload can be mounte

Above, top to bottom: Tom Dunne, Anthony Avillo, and Mike Ciampo

Question: 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”?

Anthony Avillo  

I read the line-of-duty death report of the firefighter killed in New York State as part of a mutual-aid response. It made me realize how underprepared and coordination deficient mutual-aid groups are.  When the only time they see each other is on the fireground, that means that no training, planning, or interdepartment policy or coordination has been done. That is very dangerous, like “Tower of Babel” firefighting.

Les Baker

While conducting training in Bossier, Louisiana, we had a response for a vehicle that had a significant driver’s side intrusion from a lateral impact. It provided the perfect situation to work on tactics on a vehicle that underwent a collision and allowed the components to act appropriately. After further inspection, there were two car seats in the back seat. In between the two seats was an adult bag valve mask. Based on the clues left, it was obvious that the driver—the parent (or guardian) of the two kids—was critically injured or killed. The kids’ lives would never be the same after the incident. It proved to be a moment of reflection for me on why I train responders and speak at conferences such as FDIC International. It is my hope that I can be that difference that enables a responder to change the lives of victims in a positive way.

Alan Brunacini

For a long time, I have conducted discussions in FDIC International educational sessions about functional boss behaviors. It is a leadership topic that produces a lot of energy, discussion, and expression from the participants on experiences of being a boss or the treatment they have received from their boss. I recently was part of a meeting where we talked about how a boss can improve his effective level of boss engagement in the workplace. I have reflected on that issue; this year in my FDIC International boss session, I am going to slip into the conversation that bosses must focus on what they can control and accept what they cannot control, and that self-control is about the only thing under a person’s control. I am looking forward to the discussion.

More: FDIC Must-Share Moments: Raul Angulo

Deputy Chief (Ret.) Thomas Dunne

New York City Fire Department

Recently, after giving my “Think Like an Incident Commander” presentation to a classroom of firefighters, I was approached by one of the students. Normally, I would expect to handle questions regarding firefighting strategy and tactics, but this particular individual raised an interesting point: He had recently been promoted, but he did not have a great deal of firefighting experience since he had served in the military and was older than most new firefighters when he first came into the fire service.  He proceeded to tell me that he was finding it difficult to feel confident when supervising other firefighters, many of whom had more actual fireground experience than he did. Apparently, the segment of my class that he found most helpful involved the discussion about developing a comfort level as an incident commander and decision maker at an emergency operation.

I was immediately impressed with both his insight and honesty. His comments reflected the exact same doubts I