The International Association of Fire Chiefs announced the schedule and opened registration for Fire-Rescue International this week. This year's show will be held Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 12–15, at Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La.

General sessions will feature inspiring presentations by Scott O'Grady, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who was shot down over Bosnia while helping to enforce the NATO no-fly zone, and author C.W. Metcalf, who will talk about developing crisis survival skills.

The schedule has changed for this year’s conference. In years past, the conference began Friday and ended Monday with the Presidential Celebration banquet. This year, the conference will begin Thursday and end Sunday at noon, with preconference workshops scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 10–11. The Presidential Celebration will be Saturday, Aug. 14.

According to the IAFC, O’Grady will share the problem-solving ingenuity that kept him alive in enemy territory for six days. Metcalf will discuss the hallmark traits of crisis survivors who remain creative, healthy and productive in periods of uncertainty. "The audience will learn that those abilities are based on developed skills—community, humor, altruism, imagination and Divine luck, and he will offer practical tools for developing them," the IAFC said.

More than 16,000 fire chiefs are expected at the show, which will offer many informative conference sessions designed to educate attendees in all facets of fire service leadership, management and operations, including leading combination departments, CISM, officer development, staffing, diversity and more. New, innovative preconference sessions also have been added to the 2004 exposition.

The FRI exhibit hall, which will have more than 625 exhibitors displaying the latest innovations in the fire and emergency services industry, will also have new hours, classes and vendor demonstrations of new products. Exhibits will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13-14, The hall will not be open on Sunday.

Members may begin registering immediately online; non-members may register beginning Jan. 13. Preregistration includes the conference, the partners’ program, pre-conference workshops, co-located events and hotel preferences. Online registrations require a password: “advancereg.” IAFC members need their membership numbers also. If you do not know your membership number, call IAFC Member Services at 703-273-0911.

Important Information for Divisions

IAFC has reserved housing blocks specifically for divisions. If you would like to stay with your division, note its hotel assignment below and make this your first choice. If you would like to stay in your division’s hotel, your housing request should be submitted by April 16..

2004 IAFC Division Hotel Headquarters
Canadian—Hilton Riverside
Eastern—Hilton Riverside
Great Lakes—Fairmont
Missouri Valley—Sheraton
New England—Hilton Riverside
Southeastern—Doubletree
Southwestern—Hilton Riverside
Western—Hilton Riverside


Hotels fill quickly, so be sure to make your reservation as soon as possible and take advantage of early registration discounts.

More information on the conference, including a detailed conference brochure, will be posted in mid-February on the IAFC Web site and at www.firechief.com.