“Wildfire 2002: Surviving in the Interface Danger Zone” Conference Slated for December, 2002 in Kansas City

Fairfax, VA – A new international fire service conference titled “WILDFIRE 2002: Surviving in the Interface Danger Zone,” has been announced for December 4-6 , 2002 In Kansas City, MO. Co-sponsored by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and the Rocky Mountain Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service, the new conference is expected to be the first of its kind in the nation.

According to the IAWF, “WILDFIRE 2002″ will be unique in several ways. First, the conference will be specifically targeted toward urban structural fire fighters in addition to rural fire services who are increasingly faced with the dangers of wildfire in the urban interface. Second, much of the conference’s content will focus on national trends which clearly show the difficulties created when wildlands become increasingly populated, and the challenges in fire suppression these areas will surely face in the future.”

Numerous workshops and seminars are planned for the conference covering these four tracks:

1. Safety in the Interface;
2. Wildland Urban Interface Suppression, Management, Tactics & Tools;
3. Prevention, Mitigation, Environmental Concerns and Fuel Management;
4. and Promoting Community Assistance.

“During the year 2000, more than 123,000 wildfires burned in excess of 8.4 million acres, requiring the efforts of over 30,000 fire fighters.” stated Bruce Suenram, president of the International Association of Wildland Fire. “And just in the past two weeks, major fires in populated areas of Colorado and New Jersey have erupted, endangering residents and fire personnel alike. It’s an issue that will continue to grow, and we must all be ready to confront it.”

For more information or to register for the conference, clickHERE.