Firefighters are flocking to Indianapolis for FDIC International. Much of the week-long event is dedicated to classroom instruction and hands-on training.
Connecting and networking
In addition to learning, firefighters are connecting and networking on a scale unprecedented since the pandemic. There is also a spirit of gratitude to first responders for keeping communities safe. For the first time, FDIC International is co-locating with the JEMS Conference and Expo for the EMS market.
Equipment manufacturers emphasize new technology in a large exhibit hall at FDIC International, where firefighters can see and touch the latest products, from protective clothing to hand-held devices to large fire apparatus. The event even spills into the outdoors, where displays comprise large aerial equipment and activities include skill competitions.
Interact directly with firefighters
It’s a unique trade show that enables end-user engagement with 30,000 firefighters"
Exhibitors embrace the opportunity to interface directly with firefighters. “It’s a unique trade show that enables end-user engagement with 30,000 firefighters,” said Jason Traynor, MSA Safety’s General Manager of Global Fire Service Products.”
“They can meet with us directly, get a sense of who MSA is, how we operate, the kind of people we employ. Coming to the show is about that connection with the people who have to do the work and have committed themselves to a selfless career.”
G1 SCBA and LUNAR
“It’s about the time we get to spend with the people, and introducing new technologies is also important." The MCA Safety exhibit emphasizes the company’s focus on human-centered design and products that work together in a connected firefighter platform. They include the G1 SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) and the LUNAR-connected handheld device, which complements the SCBA with search-and-rescue and thermal imaging capabilities.
The two are connected and can send data back and forth. If either goes into alarm, LUNAR becomes a beacon that can help firefighters locate a partner based on the signal strength of the beacon. In effect, the combination provides objective data to aid decision-making in an emergency.
Fotokite tethered drone, software
MCA is highlighting the Fotokite tethered drone, which hovers above a fire scene and provides situational awareness
MCA is also highlighting the Fotokite tethered drone, which hovers above a fire scene and provides situational awareness (with visual or thermal imaging) and connectivity to understand the fire scene better.
MCA’s software helps departments monitor people, processes, and products for a deeper understanding of the work they do. The broader ecosystem enables them to view firefighting more holistically.
Gas Laser National Gas Leak Detector
The FDIC show is the first since the pandemic to occur at its regularly scheduled time. One exhibitor estimates attendance is about triple what he saw at the show last August, almost back to 100% of the pre-pandemic level. In addition to firefighter attendees, who were willing to brave the threat of COVID, many distributors and sales reps are returning to the show.
Teletype Gas Measurement Instruments had two orders pending just one hour after the exhibition opened, said Alan Skinner, Regional Manager. Teledyne’s Gas Laser Natural Gas Leak Detector is a handheld device that can quickly scan common venting points from a safe distance.
AttackPRO handheld thermal imaging camera
Several exhibitors at the show mention the usefulness of feedback from users and show attendees in guiding product design.
Seek Thermal employed information about real problems in the field when designing its AttackPRO handheld thermal imaging camera, introduced at the show. The simple, durable product is easy to control; there are only two buttons, so no confusion in an emergency.
Situational awareness
A smaller camera provides situational awareness, while the new product is more for decision-making
The AttackPRO complements Seek Thermal’s smaller and familiar RevealFirePROX camera, an affordable personal thermal imaging camera for everyone in a department.
The smaller camera provides situational awareness, while the new product is more for decision-making and is a “fire attack tool,” said Brent LaSala, Director, Global Marketing at Seek Thermal.
Comfortable clothing
Clothing for firefighters makes up a big part of the show floor, and the trend is toward more comfortable clothing with a better range of motion. 5.11 Tactical is approaching the challenge with flexible fabrics, including a poly-cotton blend, and adjusted fit.
The trend extends to the company’s lighter-weight jackets, outerwear, and duty uniforms, which seek to combine an “old-school” aesthetic with better comfort, said Aaron Shick, Sr. Manager, Strategic Accounts and Channels, 5.11 Tactical.
fully electric fire truck
Resulting from 10 years of research and development, the electric apparatus is a reinvention of the fire truck
Rosenbauer America showed off a fully electric fire truck, which will go into service next month at the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Resulting from 10 years of research and development, the electric apparatus is a reinvention of the fire truck from the ground up.
Rosenbauer worked closely with the Los Angeles Department to address the specific challenges and obstacles of how the new truck fits into the city’s needs.
Revolutionary Technology electric truck
The Rosenbauer RTX (Revolutionary Technology) electric truck can travel 60 miles before it needs a charge and can operate 30 to 90 minutes at a fire scene before needing a charge; the average fire call is about 25 minutes.
If the battery depletes to 20%, a diesel generator kicks in and can power the truck for several hours for an extreme fire. The truck is also 8,000 pounds lighter than a conventional apparatus. The 13kW Volvo Penta drivetrain is powerful, reliable, and noise- and emissions-free.
Training and operating procedures
“Anything that a traditional apparatus needs to do, this truck does, and more,” said Mark Fusco, VP of Sales & Marketing, Rosenbauer America. In Berlin, Germany, a similar truck has been operating for several months in an initial trial. It ran 440 calls and only needed to engage its generator to recharge two times.
“In deploying this truck, departments will need to consider various factors such as training and operating procedures,” says Fusco.
NFPA-approved truck
“You can fit more loose equipment on this truck because there is more usable space. This is an NFPA-approved truck, and it is exceeding expectations.”
Two more Rosenbauer electric trucks are being demonstrated in fire departments in the U.S. and Canada, and another truck is coming next year.