No matter what city, town or county you live in, at least one of your public servants will likely be in downtown Indianapolis this week for the Fire Department Instructors Conference.
The conference returns Monday and goes through Aug. 7. It is normally held in April and plans are to have it in April 2022.
“From the very first day we get here to the day we leave, it’s open to the public,” said Bobby Halton, one of the organizers, and himself an instructor from The Bronx.
While some parts are not open to the public, like the hands on training exercises going on all over the Indianapolis metro, at various training sites, the Thursday fun walk/run, the Friday comedy night, and the opening party on Wednesday, are. Passes are available for a charge.
Halton said that firefighters are serious when it’s time to be serious, but they also know how to cut loose, and there are good reasons for it.
“Firefighters tend to celebrate life because we know how fragile it is, how unfair it is, and we know that sometimes really terrible things happen to suck wonderful people. And, we love it when people come celebrate with us!”
Halton said he believes many people have lost their capacity for awe and that firefighters, dealing with life and death on a daily basis, retain their ability to go, “oh, that’s cool!”
When they celebrate, and when they train, they’ll be doing it with people from all over the world.
“This is like a big family reunion. The fire service is a big family. You get people from all over the world. But, when you see ’em, i9t’s just like you saw ’em yesterday,” said Indianapolis Fire Dept. Captain Chris Majors.
He said the friendships also make firefighters part of a major network.
“You meet new people. Every year you meet somebody from a different city and put ’em in your phone and if you’ve got a question you say, how are you guys doing this in San Diego? And, he’ll text you right back, here’s what we do.”
“You go down to Buca Di Beppo and you’ll have a firefighter sitting next to a firefighter from Buenos Aires sitting next to a firefighter from Anchorage, Alaska, next to a guy from Wisconsin, next to a guy from eastern Kentucky,” said Halton.
While the firefighters have a bond of brotherhood and sisterhood from what they do, the benefit for you is that they are constantly learning from one another about better ways to keep people safe.
Tomorrow you’ll find out what they have learned and what will be taught at this year’s convention, one of Indiana’s largest.