New York State Association of Fire Chiefs to Hold FIRE Expo & Annual Conference

LAKE GEORGE, NY (06/13/2007)(readMedia)-- Thousands of fire and emergency services personnel from across the state of New York and throughout the Northeast will gather for the second consecutive year in Lake George, N.Y. for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs FIRE Expo & Annual Conference. Over 10,000 fire chiefs, firefighters, and emergency services personnel of all ranks converged in the Adirondacks during last year’s three-day event.

FIRE 2007 (Fire Industry, Rescue, & EMS Expo), the Association’s 101st Annual Conference, will be held June 14-16, 2007 at the Fort William Henry Resort & Conference Center. Special educational programs and live fire hands-on training activities will be held at additional sites in Warren County.

Representatives from over 260 companies will be on hand displaying an array of fire, EMS, and rescue apparatus, tools, equipment, and services that attendees can purchase or order. Exhibits will be dispersed throughout the grounds of the Fort William Henry Resort, as well as along the lakefront. Attendees can view the latest cutting-edge technologies to help them more safely and better serve the citizens they protect on the calls they answer each and every day.

Exhibit hours at the Fort William Henry are Thursday, June 14 from 12:30 - 5:00 p.m., Friday, June 15 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 16 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

On-site registration is available during exhibit hours. One day tickets to enter the exhibits are available for $15 per person. Children 15 and under can enter exhibits for free. On-site registration for education programs are also available – special registration fees apply.

Chief Bobby Halton, editor-in-chief of the national fire service publication Fire Engineering, will provide the opening keynote address during the conference General Session, which begins at 1:00 p.m. at the Fort William Henry Conference Center.

The Association’s new “Command Track” education program, held Thursday through Friday at the Roaring Brook Ranch Resort & Conference Center, will bring together national leaders in the fire service for a one-of-a-kind learning experience in New York state for New York state firefighters. Retired Chief Alan Brunacini, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department, Battalion Chief Steve Chikerotis, Chicago (IL) Fire Department, Chief Dennis Rubin, Washington, D.C. Fire Department, and Deputy Assistant Chief John Norman, Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) are among the participants that will share their knowledge and extensive experience with New York’s emergency responders.

“Fast Track” education programs will be held at the Fort William Henry grounds from Thursday through Saturday. Communications lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina, fire service leadership, and water rescue operations are among the diverse topics that will be presented by industry experts. Retired Firefighter Jeff Cool of the FDNY will present “Black Sunday – It Can’t Happen to Me” on Friday at 2:30 p.m. Cool was severely injured when he was forced to jump from the top floor of a 4-story building after becoming trapped while fighting a fire in January 2005. Two of his brother firefighters were lost in the line of duty while battling this blaze in the Bronx.

Live fire hands-on training activities will be conducted at the site of the former Howard Johnson’s Motel in Queensbury, N.Y. off of I-87 Exit 19 on Thursday and Friday. Firefighters wearing full protective clothing will be fighting actual fires in drills led by program coordinator Christian Delisio, a lieutenant with the FDNY.

Other special programs include the Association’s annual Memorial Service, where deceased Association members and firefighters lost in the line of duty from across New York state will be honored. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Lake George.

The Lake George community will welcome attendees to the region with a spectacular fireworks display on the lake on Thursday at 10:00 p.m.

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