WORCESTER — The Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM) will host its Annual Professional Development Conference next week at the DCU Center in Worcester.
The event, being held from Feb. 27-29, is the premier professional development and training conference for fire chiefs in Massachusetts and features several distinguished speakers and industry experts.
Speakers Tuesday through Thursday include Chief Jeff Johnson (ret.), of the Tualatin Valley, Ore., Fire & Rescue; Dr. Jeffrey L. Buchanan (ret.), Chief of the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and Western Fire Chiefs Association Principal; Deputy Chief Frank Viscuso (ret.), of the Kearny, N.J., Fire Department; Battalion Chief Frank Ricci (ret.), of the New Haven, Conn., Fire Department and author of the FDIC best-selling leadership book “Command Presence Increase Your Influence;” Battalion Chief Dr. Candace Ashby of the Indianapolis Fire Department; and Chief Shane Ray (ret.), of the Pleasant View, Tenn., Volunteer Fire Department, South Carolina State Fire Marshal, and National Fire Sprinkler Association President.
Additionally, Chief John S. Butler, International Association of Fire Chiefs President, will be speaking at the luncheon on Tuesday and will join attendees at the Vendor Social from 4-5 p.m. in the exhibit hall. Chief Butler is the fire chief for Fairfax County. Va., Fire and Rescue and formerly served as the fire chief for Howard County, Md., Fire and Rescue. He was the first chief to have held every rank within that department.
The conference will also feature a strand designed specifically for fire department administrative assistants to attend lectures on a number of topics, including presentations by Jennifer Vincent on time management, resiliency and Microsoft shortcuts; Thomas Greenhalgh on understanding critical incident stress; Allen Phillips, MEMA East Region Director, and John Viveiros, MEMA Local Coordinator on an overview of MEMA and its mission; and representatives of John Guilfoil Public Relations speaking about content creation and best practices for fire departments.
There will be 76 vendor booths to visit, including fire service equipment suppliers, fire service technology, ambulance billing, apparatus manufacturers, etc. In total, 21 pieces of apparatus will be on the showroom floor.
For information on registration and more, visit here.
About the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts
The Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM) is an organization designed to further the professional advancement of the fire service and assist state Chiefs in fulfilling their responsibilities. Established in 1893, the association serves as the recognized Fire Chiefs’ organization for purposes of exchanging ideas, knowledge and experience in the areas of prevention, extinguishment and safety of life and property from fire. FCAM also works to promote efficient fire administration in the towns and cities throughout Massachusetts.
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