by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Hundreds of vendors and thousands of fire and rescue personnel from around the state and nation are gathering this week for the Fire-Rescue East 2006 Conference and Exposition at the Osborn Center.
The four-day conference is expected to bring more than 15,000 people to the city.
“This is big-boy stuff here,” said Benny Seth, public information officer for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. “This has a great economic impact on the city. These guys bring their families here. For 10 years they have been coming here — spending their money. The vendors are selling products.”
Fire-Rescue East draws from more than 36 states and Canada. With the participation of national fire and rescue organizations, this event is one of the largest fire and emergency services educational events and expositions in the Southeast, according to the Foundation of Florida Fire Chiefs Association.
Last year more than 11,000 people came through the city for the conference, according to Jennifer McFee, director of communications for Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Fire-Rescue East is expecting even more.
“They blocked off 1,575 rooms, but have already exceeded their block at several hotels,” said McFee.
The event will be held here until 2008, after which the show will go into negotiations to stay in Jacksonville or move to another location with more convention space. Currently, the show has reached capacity at the Osborn Center, according to Seth. There are more than 250 exhibitor booths and some exhibits were juggled around to make room for 10 more.
“We’re hoping to keep the show here,” said Seth. “It’s a positive thing for the city of Jacksonville and the event, but every inch of space is used here. We need more space.”
The event is sponsored by the Florida Fire and Emergency Services Foundation, the Foundation of the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association, the Florida Society Fire Service Instructors and the Florida State Fire College.
The conference and exposition hosts people who manufacture and produce equipment used for fire truck and emergency teams, as well as the administrative personnel that make up those departments. It’s also an opportunity for fire personnel and emergency medical technicians to keep their certifications current.
“This is an excellent source for (the credit needed to retain certification) because the courses are all in one place,” said Seth.
There will also be a terrorism drill in the Duval County Emergency Operation Center to give personnel training with simulated real-life situations later this week. This is one of the first such drills in the state and fire and rescue members state-wide have been invited.
Seth said the drill will focus on disseminating information to the public since that’s what terrorism, and terrorist threats, would impact. She said there will be mock reporters and unexpected scenarios at the drill.
“The most critical thing is to let citizens know what is happening,” said Seth. “It will be a live drill and all kinds of mayhem.”
Rick Sosa, EMS supervisor for the Stuart Fire and Rescue Department in Stuart, Fla. said the conference is a good way to make sure everyone is still on the same page.
“Especially after 2001, Weapons of Mass Destruction and anthrax, we need to make sure everyone still has the same goal,” said Sosa.
He said communication has been an issue within different departments.
“There’s only so much you can do through e-mail and the Internet,” he said. “This conference is a way to keep that communication.”
Chief Wayne Duffy is also from Stuart. He and Sosa will take the information back to their southern Florida departments, adding the conference is an additional training tool.
“It keeps you ahead of the game. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel here. Some departments have ideas that you haven’t thought of and vice-versa,” said Duffy.
He also said that it is not just fire and rescue personnel at this conference. There are also state department officials and members of the Department of Homeland Security.
“It’s multi-jurisdictional,” he said.