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Proud Canadians . . . |
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Written by Laura King
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
Indianapolis, Ind. - In a land perpetually stuck in an election cycle, it might be too naïve to expect that the FDIC would be immune from politics.
Twenty minutes into my first session at FDIC - where I'm proudly wearing my Fire Fighting in Canada jacket - and politics has made me acutely aware that we're south of the border. News of convulsions within a fractured Republican party is hard to miss, as the upstart right-wing Tea Party movement mounts an effort to lead conservatives into November's crucial mid-term elections.
Speaker Capt. Mike Gagliano of the Seattle Fire Department calls this version of the FDIC the most political version of the event he's seen.
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Indianapolis here we come . . . |
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Written by Laura King
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Thursday, April, 22, 2010
Think of
us when you get up this morning and linger over your coffee as we'll be en
route to Indy on a ridiculously early flight, which means hauling our sorry
selves out of bed long before the crack of dawn to get to Pearson and clear
customs.
Attendance
at FDIC will no doubt spiral upward today with the opening at 12:30 p.m. of the
massive trade show at the Lucas Oil Stadium. Comfortable shoes, patience and
water bottles are a must.
We're
meeting our good friends from The Fire Within tonight to take in an
Indianapolis Indians ball game and enjoy some, um, supper. The wonderful
organizers at The Fire Within (read: Jodi!) have booked the third-base terrace
for us and the group of 30 Canadian firefighters, and a buffet dinner. You wish
you were there, don't you!
We'll
keep you posted.
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More sessions, more learning, and more fun! |
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Written by Jodi Neuman, The FIre Within
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
Most of Wednesday was spent in classroom sessions expanding knowledge and exercising brain cells.
The group was treated to an amazing dinner by WFR on Wednesday night. What a great time! After that, some of the group continued onto the Irish pub - finally a place where there was HOCKEY on tv! Some then moved on to Ike & Jonesy's where the guys faithfully assisted The Fire Within with branding by applying temporary TFW tattoos to anyone who would let them. The things these guys do for the greater good!
Tonight (Thursday) is the Indianapolis Indians baseball game where we will watch the game from the third base party terrace while having dinner - and luckily it's not raining! There will be some interesting wardrobe choices for a couple of the guys tonight. Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow to see what they had to wear!
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Day three and still surviving . . . |
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Written by Cory Clark, Nova Chemicals Emergency Services
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Wednesday, April, 21
Editor's note: Canada's The Fire Within and 30 firefighters are at FDIC
in Indianapolis experiencing the HOT sessions, workshops and trade
show. They're doing other stuff too, some of which you will read about
in our The Fire Within / FDIC / Fire Fighting in Canada blog. Check in
daily for updates from Indy and wish you were there!
Having so many "learnings" the brain is getting fuller by the minute. Had some great HOT sessions on Tuesday and had a full day of classroom sessions Wednesday. FDIC is bigger, better than was first expected. IMPRESSIVE! I think Chad thinks he is "Julie" from the Love Boat - quite the tour director in his own mind, kind of dresses like her...sorry Chad! :)
(Really, a thanks to Jodi for keeping everything on track . . . and you too Chad).
Looking forward to the trade show as the trucks are arriving and looking forward to the latest and greatest stuff on the market.
More to come. I guess I need to stay up past 10 to see the nightlife. Dinner with WFR tonight; looks like another steak dinner.
by Cory Clark, Nova Chemicals Emergency Services | 12/31 POST A COMMENT | 0 COMMENTS |
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The Fire Within's core values are rooted in the mantra TRAIN, EDUCATE, EQUIP. Train firefighters, educate the public and equip fire department's
This morning in his passionate opening address, Bobby Halton said that today we are one in 100. What he was referring to is that statistically one in every 100 firefighters will have the opportunity to attend FDIC.
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April 21, 2010
The first three days were packed with information, experiences and meeting of fellow firefighters from around the world at FDIC . . . and there is more to come. The trade show is scheduled to open tomorrow and all delegates are looking forward to the announcements by manufacturers of new products for the firefighter to use.
This trip is a generator of energy and enthusiasm for the individual participants and when you are bunched together with like-minded individuals, the intensity ramps up to a high that one remembers for a long time.
This is a great week, with great opportunities to learn and great company. The food and entertainment are just icing on the cake.
Join us next year!
by Derrick Harvey, Wholesale Fire and Rescue | 04/21 POST A COMMENT | 0 COMMENTS |
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday at FDIC - a free day for some, HOT sessions for others, general rowdiness for all. After a day of exploring and learning, the group met up at the Slippery Noodle for some live music. Some got to see the tunnels in the basement that were used in the Underground Railroad. There apparently were some unexplained presences that made themselves known in some strange ways. Chad is now scared of the dark.
From there, we continued on to Howl At the Moon where duelling pianos entertained the group for the rest of the evening. The songs start out as you'd expect but the quality of the lyrics declines steadily as the night goes on with custom songs emerging from well known ones. Whether the result is better or worse depends on who you ask, but it's definitely worth seeing (or hearing). For a price, you can have a phrase written on the board at the front of the bar that stays up there until someone pays more to change it- the guys did Canada proud!
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| Canadian firefighters did their country proud at Howl At the Moon in Indy Tuesday night! |
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What happens at FDIC . . . |
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Written by The Fire Within
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Editor's note: Canada's The Fire Within and 30 firefighters are at FDIC in Indianapolis experiencing the HOT sessions, workshops and trade show. They're doing other stuff too, some of which you will read about in our The Fire Within / FDIC / Fire Fighting in Canada blog. Check in daily for updates from Indy and wish you were there!
Today, an FDIC photo montage!
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Look, a fire chief with a hose! (Trent from Swan Hills, Alta.)
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