The annual FDIC Show and Conference is scheduled for April 16–21 in Indianapolis. This year's event includes instruction sessions to help departments improve apparatus safety on the road and at the scene.

Among the many classes and workshops are several aimed at teaching methods and practices for safer apparatus operation. Some of them include:

Roadway Incident Safety for Emergency Responders. An overview of the safety hazards present at highway incidents and a series of best practices designed to help save lives and prevent injuries of emergency response personnel.

Safe Operations on Limited Access Highways. When a firefighter is killed on an interstate highway, the cause is usually poor apparatus placement or lack of adequate protection. The proper safeguards, procedures and training for preventing these needless deaths are discussed.

Creating a Fire Apparatus Driver SOP. Learn how well-written SOPs for apparatus drivers responding to and returning from alarms can improve safety and reduce injuries and deaths. This is a step-by-step guide for those who have to write SOPs for their departments.

Drive to Survive. No matter how good you think your driving skills are when responding to emergencies, there can still be some point at which physics take over and you lose control of the vehicle. This class identifies the most common causes of vehicle crashes and the reasons they occur.

Emergency Vehicle Safety for Volunteer and Small Departments. The results of a research project that analyzed the USFA Fire Service Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative are presented and explained. This comprehensive approach to emergency vehicle safety includes a review of best practices to reduce near-misses, incidents, injuries, deaths and related property damage.

Diamond Point Approach to Every Intersection. This model is simple and quick to understand and, if implemented correctly, provides an emergency vehicle driver with greater assurance that an intersection is clear before the apparatus enters.

Anatomy of a Rollover Accident. An analysis of rollover accidents and ways to prevent them. Topics include emergency vehicle defensive driving, what to do if you round a curve and the wheels leave the pavement, and how apparatus design affects rollovers.

For more information about these and many other classes, go to www.fdic.com.