(Fairlawn, NJ, May 27, 2020) – During the FDIC teams extensive outreach and conversations with the fire service, there was an overwhelming desire expressed by firefighters to come together in the fall to celebrate the unity of the fire service, learn and support ongoing efforts in serving their communities and continue training.  These requests are being answered with the launch of a new event, United Fire Conference, that will take place September 22-24, 2020 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. 

The United Fire Conference will mark the first coming together of the international fire service community to discuss key themes around timely and mission critical topics including global pandemics, infection control, hazards in blended missions, and how we can better prepare for the future together.

“This critically necessary event will be a celebration of the fire service community. A time for all ranks to come together to learn, collaborate and discuss valuable insight for scenario planning for future global, national and local critical incident response but also mission critical classes on topics which continue irrespective of outside unique circumstances,” said Chief Bobby Halton, Editorial and Education Director for Clarion Fire & Rescue.   

While the United Fire Conference will be built by the FDIC International team, this event will be a completely separate and unique departure from the FDIC event brand. The United Fire Conference will consist of an Opening Ceremony, two and half days of timely in-depth education sessions/panels and breakouts, a unity celebration event for fire rescue professionals and a smaller footprint of exhibits. The event has committed to donating 50% of the registration revenue collected to support the following organizations: Tunnel to Towers and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This will be presented to them at the Closing Ceremony of the United Fire Conference.

 “As a consequence of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, FDIC International, originally scheduled to take place on April 20-25, 2020, will be cancelled for 2020. In light of both governmental direction and general public health advisories delivering FDIC International in its traditional form and to its full commitment (35,000+ Fire Rescue professionals, 85+ hands-on-training evolutions, 300+ conference sessions and 800+ exhibits) is not possible at this time. We look forward to coming together for FDIC International 2021 stronger than ever, holding steadfast to the same commitment,” said Eric Schlett, Senior Vice President, Clarion Fire & Rescue.  

The FDIC International team will continue to be in touch with all exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to answer any questions. There will be further communication to these groups over the coming days and weeks as we aim to facilitate a smooth transition and prepare for the next edition of FDIC International, April 19-24, 2021 at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Additional information and frequently asked questions can be found on the FDIC website.

“The absolute priority is to safeguard the health and welfare of all those involved in our events and to provide them with the critical, lifesaving content and training they have requested. If we are not able to hold United Fire Conference in September, then we will still find an alternative way to offer this critical content digitally. We thank everyone for their ongoing support and understanding,” said Schlett. Clarion Events, along with Clarion’s Fire and Rescue team are continuing to closely following the latest public health and government advice with regard to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and are carefully adhering to their directions. At this point it is nearly impossible to predict the status of the pandemic in September, however, the team is currently proceeding with plans for the United Fire Conference and will be putting in place a number of new health and safety procedures working with our travel partners, hotels, venue and the city of Indianapolis.

 

About Clarion Events Fire & Rescue Group

The Clarion Events Fire & Rescue Group provides critical cutting-edge firefighting and emergency medical service news, education, equipment and hands-on training. Through our industry-leading publications, digital media and events Clarion’s Fire & Rescue Group covers the latest developments and standards in apparatus and equipment, clinical breakthroughs, and training for firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and those professionals serving in the Fire & EMS Industries. We at Clarion Fire & Rescue hold ourselves to the strictest of standards, ensuring that our service to the first responders equals the industry’s tireless service to us all while maintaining our long-standing mission to “Train and Inform the Fire & EMS Industry.”

For Media Inquiries, Please Contact:
Lauren Ocoma, Vice President, Marketing
lauren.ocoma@clarionevents.com