IAFF’s 19th annual Redmond Symposium to explore health and safety initiatives
Chicago, Ill. — North America’s largest health and safety conference for fire fighters and emergency medical personnel begins next week when the International Association of Fire Fighters convenes the 19th John F. Redmond Foundation’s Symposium on the Occupational Health and Hazards of the Fire Service.
The symposium, which begins Oct. 22 at the Chicago Hilton, is intended to improve awareness and understanding of the health and welfare of the nation’s domestic defenders by providing information to reduce injuries, illness and fatalities.
Reporters are welcome to attend the general session each day during the four-day event and all the workshops that follow the general session each morning.
IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger will speak Monday during the general session, and his speech is open to reporters. Presidential candidate and Connecticut. Sen. Chris Dodd, endorsed by the IAFF, will speak Wednesday afternoon to the gathering.
Workshops will cover a range of subjects, from changes in CPAT to preventing vehicle-related deaths, the second-leading cause of death among fire fighters.
A discussion during Thursday’s general session will examine events surrounding the multiple line-of-duty deaths this year.