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Editor’s blog from the CAFC

Sept. 26, 2011, Calgary – There is a palpable optimism in the air here in Cowtown where the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs conference hits full stride today.

Having Julian Fantino, the associate minister of defence, here for last evening’s opening ceremonies to talk about Ottawa’s role in moving forward the broadband spectrum issue – and promising to work with first-responder groups – was important and lent a fair bit of clout and credibility to the work the CAFC has done with government over the last couple of years. (There’s an update on the interoperability issue this afternoon.)

A video-taped message from Prime Minister Stephen Harper may have been light on content – Harper mentioned the firefighter tax credit and wished conference delegates well – but it was symbolic of the CAFC’s efforts to learn how to advocate for its causes, to work with other agencies and to listen to others.

Today’s session opens with a 90-minute CAFC business meeting – more on that this afternoon.

Meantime, delegates here from coast to coast to coast are keen to get on with the business of addressing fire-service issues from better communication with municipal councils to how to get communities to buy into the notion of residential sprinklers.

Oh, and there’s some less serious stuff too. Those who custom ordered their Calgary-made cowboy hats wore them proudly last evening; more are expected to do so at tonight’s truly Calgarian fun night at a rodeo/ranch – should be both interesting and entertaining.

And, as was widely posted on Twitter and Facebook last night, the poor saps from Calgary Fire who responded to the alarm at the conference host hotel, the Westin, took a ribbing worthy of a rookie hazing. As CAFC administrator (read chief cook and bottle washer!) Vicky Roper noted on Facebook: Irony – when the hospitality suit band’s “smoker” sets off the alarms at a fire chief’s conference! Needless to say, the chiefs immediately heeded the evacuation order and vacated the building, then started timing the response . . .

More later.

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