Are you still keeping your New Year's resolutions? My goal was to be better organized in 2007, until I read articles about how multi-tasking is not good for your mental health. So my goal is to better organize my tasks and only do two things at a time, not multiple — that's three or more, right?

Here's a sensible way to incorporate multiple opportunities in one conference this month. Consider attending the Fire Department Safety Officers Association's 19th Annual Apparatus Specification & Vehicle Maintenance Symposium to be held January 20-24, 2007, in Orlando, Fla..

Before the seminar begins on Monday morning, two free training sessions in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Excel software will be offered on Sunday, Jan. 21, to registered attendees as part of the pre-conference program. This is an opportunity to add to or brush up on your computer skills and it's taught by one of the best computer teachers I've met. Sue Ellen Bartlett of Computer Training Solutions from Annapolis, Md., will cover training for entry, mid- and advanced levels of PowerPoint. The short cuts, helpful tricks of the trade and new timesavers you'll learn will enable you to better prepare presentations for use in your department or with local government.

Want to better organize your fire apparatus shop? A number of manufacturers believe Division Chief Rob Anselmi of the Toronto (Ont.) Fire Department and Division Chief Harry Holst of the smaller Kitchener (Ont.) Fire Department run two of the best fire apparatus shops in North America. Together, Anselmi and Holst will offer a seminar on Fire Apparatus Shop Operations and Management.

Anselmi recently had the experience of merging operations from six cities into one and has many "lessons learned" to share. Holst's smaller but tightly run apparatus shop supports four stations. It may be two fairly extreme views on shop operations, but they share common views on motivating personnel and training.

The New Year also heralds the new 2007 engine changes. A panel of representatives from four manufacturers will address the topic and answer your questions. And with increasing demands on emergency medical services, Chief Mark Ober, Anderson Township (Ohio) Fire & Rescue, and Jim Philips from Medtec Ambulance will discuss writing specifications for ambulances and the impact of the 2007 emission standards on engines, exhaust and underbodies. Philips, an EMT and former EMS chief, has 20 years of experience in the ambulance industry. The two will cover technology's impact on ambulance designs, including collision avoidance items and occupancy protection.

Okay, here's my disclaimer. This is my favorite symposium of the year. It's a no-nonsense program about buying and maintaining emergency apparatus. FDSOA Executive Director Mary McCormack runs a strict program that prohibits commercials or sales pitches during the programs, and she means it! A new steering committee put this year's program together based on attendees' input from last year. Call FDSOA at 508-881-3114 or go to www.fdsoa.org for more details.

Oh, and the symposium's final speaker is worth the registration fee alone. Fire apparatus attorney Jim Juneau will offer a mini-legal insight titled, "How Safe is Safe — Maintaining Safe Fire Apparatus." He's amazing, truly! See you in Orlando.