Fellow Firefghters, Friends, and Guests,
Welcome to the 90th FDIC International! Let me be the frst to say thank you for being part of this incredible celebration of what is
inarguably the greatest single celebration of the noblest profession in the world. Firefghting has many inherent dangers; those who
are called to wear the uniform of the frefghter do so willingly, accepting those risks both known and unknown. The Fire Department
Instructors Conference has, since its inception, the sole purpose and function of helping to mitigate those risks and provide this
impassioned community with the latest tools, information, research, and networking to best support frefghters’ efforts worldwide in
better protecting their communities.
Over the past 90 years, hundreds of thousands of frefghters have come to FDIC; every single one of them has contributed to the
legacy of this event that we all hold so dearly in our hearts. No one frefghter, no one corporation, no ideology, no cause or movement
has dominated or held hostage the hearts and minds of those who have gathered here. Rather, on this hallowed ground of FDIC,
wherever it has been, it has been open and neutral ground for the opinions and thoughts of all who come here to share and grow.
The Roman Stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, better known as Seneca the Younger, who lived and spoke during the same
time as Jesus walked the earth, once said, “The time will come when diligent research over long periods will bring to light things which
now lie hidden. A single lifetime, even though entirely devoted to the sky, would not be enough for the investigation of so vast a subject
… And so this knowledge will be unfolded only through long successive ages. There will come a time when our descendants will be
amazed that we did not know things that are so plain to them … Many discoveries are reserved for ages still to come, when memory
of us will have been effaced.”
Firefghters understand well what Seneca meant. The legions of frefghters at FDIC International represent those who have devotedly
and gratefully chosen to spend their lifetimes studying and investigating everything there is that we can about our most dreaded foe:
fre. Those brave and devoted souls accept the understanding that despite our best efforts and our most diligent work, there will always
be more to learn. We honor and embrace the lessons that those who came before us so dearly won. We respect and honor the
memory of those who came before us although some, as Seneca said, have been effaced, perhaps as individuals but not so and never
as members of this beloved institution of the fre service.
It is with these thoughts in mind that I welcome you to FDIC International’s 90th celebration. It is with these thoughts in mind that I am
humbled to be among you and grateful to join with you in honoring our past, cultivating our present, and laying a frm foundation for
our descendants.
Please enjoy our incredible keynote presentations by I-Women President Angela Hughes and Fire Engineering EMS Technical
Editor Mike McEvoy and our featured speaker Dr. Denise Smith. Please take advantage of our world-class hands-on training,
incredible workshops, and phenomenal classroom sessions. We are grateful for our many friends who are hosting events including
The Firefghter Cancer Support Network Comedy Night, The National Fallen Firefghters Foundation Stop Drop Rock ‘n Roll and 9/11
Stair Climb, the Fools Bash, the Union Night, the Courage and Valor 5K Fun Run, and dozens of other incredible
networking opportunities.
Thank you for participating,
Chief (Ret.) Bobby Halton
Education Director, FDIC
FDIC EDUCATION LETTER
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