Inmate Dies at Lafourche Correctional Facility
March 5, 2020
Player of the Week – Demarcus Singleton
March 6, 2020
The state’s fire officials are meeting under one roof this week.
The Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association is holding its 47th annual conference this week, and yesterday, March 5, the chiefs are meeting with venders at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. The conference’s purpose is to meet and share ideas and discuss problems, and venders are an important aspect.
“It’s educational,” Russell Di Salvo Jr., Coteau Fire Chief and President of Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association. As he spoke another Fire Chief introduced him to someone. When they moved on he continued, “It’s officer level classes. A lot of networking.”
Numerous booths were filled with people hawking goods and services such as fire trucks, uniforms, insurance, radios, etc.
These venders aren’t just about sales, said Amanda Thibodeaux, President of Louisiana Arson and Fire Prevention Association, and vender, the face-to-face meeting is more valuable.
“If they have a problem and we have a problem, we can create a solution together,” said Thibodeaux.
The Louisiana Arson and Fire Prevention Association help in the enforcement and education of fire codes.
For venders who create tools for the firefighters, these events allow them to not only sell their products, but learn how to cater tools to the varying needs of the organizations.
In the case of fire trucks, for example, full-time fire departments often have different needs from the vehicle than do volunteer organizations.
Cities, which often employ full time fire departments, usually have access to water to combat a fire readily available. Volunteer organizations often need to take water with them to the site.
Robert Triche, Key Associate Manager with Ferrara Fire Apparatuses inc., displayed numerous fire fighting vehicles. Some had long powerful lights lining the sides of the vehicle to help with visibility. Others had hoses built into the ladder to aim and douse flames at high locations. Another sported a large platform at the top of a ladder.
“This one, I can camp out up there and control the monitor and all – not fatigue standing on a ladder all the time,” he said, pointing at the platformed ladder. Then he pointed at the one with the hose built in, “but I can’t get it where I can that straight stick – I can run it into places.”
Sales are still important. This event is unique to other meetings throughout the year, explained Triche, because while smaller, those in attendance were in control of decision making and purchasing.
“These are the guys who are going to get the pen and write the check,” said Triche.
