The Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis is always an amazing event. This year, more than 500 instructors taught classes to more than 20,000 firefighters and other emergency responders.

In Thursday's General Session, FDIC Educational Director and Fire Engineering Editor-in-Chief Bob Halton presented the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award to Boston Fire Commissioner Leo D. Stapleton (Ret.). Halton said that it was an honor "to be able to work at an occupation that brings tremendous satisfaction…. The fire service is a most notable vocation."

Halton announced that the annual Training Achievement Award was being renamed the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award for Training, in honor of the recent death of former editor Brennan. The 2006 award was presented to Don Abbott for his creation of the Abbottville Fire Department training model and his success in developing an Incident Command Training Center for the Phoenix Fire Department. Abbott recognized his wife, Bev, as playing an integral role in the development of the miniature training village that has prepared thousands of fireground officers.

The 2006 Joe Fishelson Award for excellence in customer service to the fire service was presented to Alan Saulsbury, the former president of Saulsbury Fire Apparatus. In presenting the award, Sam Goldwater said, "Alan gives more than he receives for his mentoring." Introduced as Mr. Heavy Rescue, Saulsbury led the company – started by his father – to become synonymous with quality, innovative rescue vehicles. Accepting the award, Saulsbury said that he believes it was his passion for the fire service and the people that drove him to work that he loved.

Nominated FEMA Director R. David Paulison received a warm reception from the attendees. "You are my support group," he said. "My goal is to make FEMA the most agile and responsive part of the federal government." He also outlined recent steps to turn FEMA around in preparation for a new season of natural disasters.

Among the initiatives, Paulison said that GPS units will be able to track shipments from FEMA warehouses to on-site locations, as many shipments were lost in the response to Hurrican Katrina. Other changes made since last year include areas of communications, situational awareness and a simplified debris-removal guideline. He emphasized that "the FIRE Grants have provided $3 billion to 30,000 fire departments."

In closing, Paulison asked the audience to "please, please, please continue to support the USFA."

Later in the morning, in the American LaFrance booth, National Fallen Firefighter Foundation Executive Director Ron Siarnicki held a press conference to announce a new video training package as part of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiative. Each of the 30,460 fire departments that have been identified in the United States will receive a copy of the new "Firefighter Life Safety Resource Kit" prior to the June 21 National Stand Down for Safety

"The Resource Kit CD will have training drills and programs based on the 16 Life Safety Initiatives," Siarnicki said. The funding for this project was provided by the Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grant and the generous support of the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.

American LaFrance President John Stevenson took the opportunity to announce the company's plans to build a new corporate headquarter and state-of-the-art assembly plant in the North Charleston/Tri-County area of South Carolina. The assembly plant will be built specifically for fire trucks. "It shows the company is going forward in supporting the fire service community," said Stevenson.

Later that evening, in an American LaFrance-sponsored fund-raiser for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, an auction was held that raised more than $31,000.

And that was just one day!