There is never enough time or money to attend conferences! Or is there??

Anyone in the Fire Service has undoubtedly heard of FDIC, and they have probably heard about State Fire Conferences. But, has everyone heard of FIRExTalk PDX, Firehouse Expo, NFPA Conference & Expo, Fire-Rescue International Conference & Expo, and the many other conferences held around the country? Even if you have heard of most of the conferences, you may think it is impossible to find the time or money to attend them all. Well, with today's technology you can attend a large number of them, on the computer or even on your phone! I understand of course that nothing can match the atmosphere of being there in person, however the valuable information included in each presentation is still at your fingertips. Like with any presentation, conference instructors give their interpretations based on experience, education, and science. These interpretations may be scrutinized at times by individuals who either do not agree, or have learned things in a different way. That is alright though, because even if you do not agree with everything, hopefully it will at least get you thinking about things you may not have otherwise. With all that being said, time could still become an issue for some. You may be hesitant to click on a video that lasts more than just a few minutes, but I want to give you some perspective on that. The average prime time television show lasts one hour, the average movie lasts around ninety minutes, and most conference presentations last either one hour or ninety minutes. So what is wrong with spending that same amount of time on a Fire Service video presentation? Hopefully your answer is nothing! Speaking of that, here is a video presentation that lasts a little over an hour by Chief Ed Hartin titled "Close the Door, Were You Born in a Barn" from the FIRExTalk PDX 2016 Conference that discusses many aspects of fire behavior, tactics, and some other things that should get you thinking.