99th Fire Department Instructors Conference draws 38,000 firefighters to Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Thousands of firefighters from around the world are in downtown Indianapolis for one of the world’s largest fire and rescue training events.

The 99th Fire Department Instructors Conference started Monday and runs through Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center.

This is the 32nd year the FDIC has been held in the Circle City, and over 38,000 firefighters are in town for the event.

The conference includes hands-on fire and EMS training scenarios, classroom sessions, workshops, guest speakers, and 900 exhibitors.

“We’re uniquely positioned where we do 138 hands-on training sessions. That means the students get on the buses, they go out to fire academies, they go out to structures through our network of 350+ instructors,” Chief David Rhodes, editor-in-chief of “Fire Engineering,” told News 8.

Rhodes says conventions like FDIC help take firefighters to the next level in training situations.

“They not only get to learn to do it, but they get to do it. Whether it’s going into a fire, whether it’s searching a building, or cutting someone out of a car.”

Click here to learn more about FDIC International.