I just returned from one of my favorite conferences, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association's 19th Annual Apparatus Specification & Maintenance Symposium in Orlando. There were more than 60 presenters for 28 programs, with chief officers and industry specialists teaming up to share experience and knowledge.

Here are some highlights from the non-apparatus related areas:

Sue Bartlett's preconference Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel software classes were really popular. Plans are already in place to add support staff next year to better assist students. (Next year's symposium begins with preconference programs on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008.)

Richard Wolf from L-3 Communications in Auburn, Mass., spoke about new technology that addresses issues of interoperability and connectivity. His description of interoperability was simple — "cross connection of radio frequencies" — yet he said that connectivity — "selectively connected voices" — was even more important.

Following Wolf's program was Shreveport (La.) Fire Department Chief Henry Simon with Joel Domangue of Ferrara Fire Apparatus. The duo explained the logistical and maintenance chaos of the 575 apparatus that arrived in the Gulf Coast region to help with Hurricane Katrina. And yes, they addressed the communications problems.

As part of the symposium program committee, I have to say we may have put the cart before the horse. Perhaps we should have had Simon and Domangue talk about the communications and logistics problems before the communications presentation. Would people then have worked harder to understand the benefits of new technology options? You don't learn this stuff overnight, yet it needs simplification because it's the future.

My favorite industry speaker, attorney Jim Juneau, once again held everyone's attention with his startling statistics and incredible video clips of accidents. Juneau updated the attendees on the award settlements of lawsuits from the previous year. He also referenced a case where the fire apparatus driver was charged with manslaughter.

"Why charge the firefighter with manslaughter? Because it's his fault!" Juneau later emphasized, "A supervisor can be charged with a criminal offense if he knowingly allows the people he supervises to put their lives in danger."

On tanker issues, Juneau emphatically stated that lights and sirens should be removed from water tankers: "Tankers should never, never be driven over 40mph." He also showed video clips of crash tests at 12-, 15- and 18mph. The difference in injury at each speed was amazing.

Driving to the airport on a rainy Thursday morning after the symposium, I spotted a black SUV traveling in the opposite direction suddenly go airborne and slam into the guardrail. As I slowed and edged right to avoid pieces of the vehicle that were flying in front of my car, I feared the SUV would flip over the guardrail in my direction. It all happened so fast, yet it felt like slow motion.

The video clips of Juneau's accidents were in my mind the rest of the day, particularly the one of a dump truck crashing into a concrete barrier at 50mph and disintegrating. It will slow me down for a while.