Conferences

Wildland Fire
Sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Association of State Foresters, the conference consists of information-packed general sessions, breakout sessions and more than 40,000 square feet of exhibits.

The conference brings together leaders from the local, state and federal levels to address the fastest growing fire threat in the world—the wildland/urban interface.

Fire-Rescue Med
Fire-Rescue Med, sponsored by the IAFC’s EMS Section, promises to educate and inform every attendee, from aspiring new leaders to the most experienced chiefs and managers, on the essential issues facing the emergency medical services industry.

The conference presents classes and workshops on infectious disease control, grant proposals, EMS leadership and management, EMS billing, suicide bombers, political success, mass casualty incidents and more. On the exhibit floor, attendees meet face-to-face with the vendors that provide critical products and services to the EMS community.

International Hazardous Materials
Response Teams Conference
The IAFC’s hazmat conference covers all aspects of working with hazardous materials, including transportation, safety, weapons of mass destruction, gear, terrorism, mass decontamination, bioterrorism and more.

Attendees at the hazmat conference network with the industry’s leading hazardous materials experts, exchange ideas and participate in hands-on training exercises and field trips. The hazmat exhibit floor includes outdoor demonstrations of hazardous materials gear and equipment.

Fire-Rescue International
More than 16,000 leaders in the fire and emergency service come together at the conference for fire service leaders, Fire-Rescue International. Attendees at FRI network with the key decision makers in the industry, attend dynamic and inspiring general sessions, earn career-enhancing credit at pre-conference workshops and participate in conference sessions featuring the latest in fire service education.

Conference workshops cover all areas of the fire service, including navigating the political environment, managing change, ethical leadership, EMS issues and more. On the FRI exhibit floor, more than 600 exhibitors showcase the newest fire service innovations in apparatus, technology, equipment, gear and more.

Department of Defense Fire and
Emergency Services Training Conference
The official conference for the military fire and emergency service, the DoD conference includes training, meetings and networking opportunities for Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force and Coast Guard fire service personnel.

The Department of Defense also presents awards for best fire department, military and civilian fire fighters, military and civilian fire officers and heroism. The conference is co-located with Fire-Rescue International, and DoD attendees have the opportunity to participate in FRI general sessions, workshops and exhibits (additional charge required).

VCOS—Volunteer and Combination
Officers Symposium
Sponsored by the IAFC’s Volunteer and Combination Officers Section and designed for managers and leaders of volunteer and combination departments, VCOS addresses the unique needs of these departments through a series of workshops, seminars and general sessions.

VCOS explores transitioning from a volunteer to a combination department, recruitment and retention, leadership and management, staffing and more.