ASDWire distribution date: Tue, 17 Mch 2009 22:12:00 GMT +0100

USA Conference Tackles Global Fire Fighting Challenges

The Aerial Firefighting Conference and Exhibition, organised by Tangent Link Ltd, took place in Anaheim, California in February 2009 and was attended by the world’s leading international fire fighting organisations. The Anaheim event was the second in the series of aerial fire fighting conferences, and the first to be held in the USA.

Aerial Firefighting is now firmly regarded as the world’s leading conference on the subject. Over 200 delegates heard experts from USA and Canada, South America, Russia, Australia and Asia. The speakers and panels discussed many aspects of both fixed wing and rotary aerial fire fighting, including how to combat life-threatening wild fires in a world of economic crisis and changing climate conditions.

Speaker, Ray Chaney, Battalion Chief, Special Operations, CAL FIRE, USA delivered an address on the tactical aspects of aerial firefighting. After the event he said, “The first of its kind in the United States, the Anaheim conference brought together a diverse group of professional International aerial firefighters. This gave us, as first responders, the ability to network our programs, communicate our issues and cooperatively find solutions. In an industry where we have an element of high risk operations, this type of conference will undoubtedly improve program safety, and save lives.”

Another speaker, Richard Alder, General Manager of Australia’s National Aerial Firefighting Centre, shared insight into how fire fighters tackled the recent catastrophic wildland fires in South Eastern Australia, that took the lives of over 200 people.

Chairman of the conference, Rear Admiral Terry Loughran, RN retd, in his review of loss of life in Australia as well as Greek wild fires in 2007 and recently in California, said “The finest tribute we can pay to all these fine people is to redouble our efforts to ensure the most effective management of wildfires, to promote the closest cooperation between those in a position to lend mutual support and to improve the liaison between aerial and ground firefighting.”

As well as interacting with speakers and panels, delegates at Aerial Firefighting Anaheim 2009 had the opportunity to network with industry colleagues and visit the 29 companies exhibiting at the event.

The conference was held in association with:
• United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Response (UN-ISDR)
• Global Fire Monitoring Centre (GFMC)
• International Association of Wildland fire (IAWF)

To view an FDNNTV.com video news report from Aerial Firefighting Anaheim 2009 click on this link: http://www.fdnntv.com/archive.asp_Q_1_E_3_A_2_E_5_A_method_E_CHANNEL_A_channelID_E_18

The next Aerial Firefighting conference and exhibition will be held in Sydney Australia later this year, followed by the fourth event in the series in Rome, Italy in November 2009.

Ends

For more information go to www.tangentlink.com

Downloads

Download images concerning this Press Release.

Download: preview (150) - lowres (300) - medres (600) - hires (unscaled)

Company Information

Downloads