FDIC - Sacramento "The Ultimate Training Experience"

By Ted Corporandy

What is FDIC? In the mid 1920’s the western Actuarial Bureau hired Harry K. Rodgers as a fire department instructor. His review of mid-western firefighting pointed to an alarming level of training by most fire departments. Mr. Rodgers concerns prompted a group of Mid-western insurance rating bureau personnel to meet in Chicago in 1928. Attended by only 8 people, this was the first Fire Department Instructors Conference. Since then, FDIC has changed venue several times, growing by leaps and bounds. FDIC is now held annually in Indianapolis. Last year it was attended by approximately 25, 000 members of the fire service, a considerable difference from that first conference in 1928!

In 1996, Pennwell Publishing, the parent company of Fire Engineering Magazine, acquired the conference. Since Fire Engineering has a proud history of training the fire service for 120 years, the acquisition was a natural. Putting their expertise, experience and talents to work, Fire Engineering has produced the finest conference of its type in the country. In their commitment to training the fire service, Fire Engineering recognized a real winner in Indianapolis. They also realized that the conference might not be accessible to firefighters in the west. The solution was to hold two quality conferences, one in Indianapolis the other in Sacramento. Officially called FDIC-West, the first west coast conference was held in Sacramento in the spring of 2000. Its overwhelming success guaranteed its return in 2001.

What makes FDIC/FDIC-West such a success? There are a number of factors that contribute to the success of FDIC/FDIC-West. The conference is a balance of hands on training, classroom sessions, general sessions, and exhibits. The participant chooses from a variety of courses in a menu-style format. Without question, the hands on training, (H.O.T.) makes FDIC/FDIC-West unique. It is an unparalleled fire training opportunity that places rigorous, informative, hands-on drills in the context of a conference and exhibition. Instructors at FDIC/FDIC-West are hand picked veteran firefighters from around the country. It is a rare opportunity to learn from the best.

FDIC Indianapolis is scheduled for February 26 to March 4 while FDIC Sacramento will be held from April 30 to May 6. Programs for FDIC-West were recently distributed to all firehouses. If you have not had an opportunity to look at it I invite you to do so. If you are unable to locate a program or if you have any questions regarding the conference do not hesitate to call me and I will provide you with what you need. I work the Battalion 2/3 swing and can be located at Battalion 2 on Tuesdays and Battalion 3 on Saturdays. I hope to see some of you in Indianapolis and Sacramento.

A special thank you to Peter Hodge of Fire Engineering Magazine for providing me with the historical data for FDIC.

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