International Floodfighters ConferenceTM 2024

STOP PRESS - NEW DATES!
Times for Days 1 and 2
08.45 – 17:00
Day 1 - 5 November 2024 Venue: Waterside Room, Royal National Lifeboat Institution College, West Quay Road, Poole, United Kingdom, BH15 1HZ
Day 2 - 6 November 2024 Venue: based at the Professional Rescue Office at the MDL Marina, Cobbs Quay, Woodlands Avenue, Hamworthy, Poole, BH15 4EL

“Actions from case studies, our current ‘sitrep’, and the future of Floodfighting”

TAKING PLACE

6 & 7 August 2024

Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom - fuller details below.

The Event

Designed to be a highly informative, knowledge sharing, international two-day gathering. Inviting operational, tactical and strategic responder representatives from police/law enforcement, public service agencies, fire and rescue services, lifesavers, voluntary rescue units, emergency medical services, emergency planning, public health, and hazardous materials response organizations – indeed everyone who contributes.

Day one in the Waterside Room at this internationally recognised home of world-leading search and rescue training. In conference layout with 'Scene Setting' from Chief Jeff Dulin, Strategic Adviser IAFC, National & Global Programs, Washington, USA; with a keynote from Dr Paddy Morgan MD (TBC) chaired by a subject matter expert Emeritus Fire Chief Roy Harold. Supported by leaders in their water and flood rescue fields from across disciplines and responders like Fire and Rescue, maritime, Voluntary Rescue Sectors, Police and HMC and international flood disaster inputs, in sharing and updating knowledge.

An important aspect planned is to have an online repository of the information made available from the day to access for future reference by responders so that lessons learned and institutional memory are not lost.

Day two - for information see below:

Day 1 - OUR SPEAKERS

Following a Welcome and Introductions from Chair of Meeting Mr. Roy Harold MBE, the Event Moderator and an opening address by Chief Jeff Dulin, Strategic Advisor International Association of Fire Chiefs, National & Global Programs. There is a programme of outstanding presenters with vital information and case studies that can contribute to mitigating community losses from floods. What to expect:
• Background to ‘Floodfighting’ with success
• Vital case studies of major flood incidents
• Setting up a flood response
• Technical and tactical updates
• Vendors with technical innovations and supporter vendor stands
• Networking with like-minded ‘Floodfighting’ responders
There will be coffee/tea Breaks. Rounding off the morning and afternoon with Q&A, a Networking light lunch with delegates and exhibition viewing from 13.00 to 14.00.
Afternoon of further vital information sharing, Q & A and discussions with delegates and the presenters – with a “Call to action Summary”.

Here are some of our speakers below;

Note the Copyright for the pictures are those shown in the pictures - thank you for their use.

Chair of Meeting Mr. Roy Harold MBE, Emeritus UK Chief Fire Officer

Chief Jeff Dulin – Strategic Advisor International Association of Fire Chiefs, National & Global Programs, Washington, USA

Dr. Paddy Morgan MD, Consultant Anesthetist and Trauma Team Leader based in Bristol (UK), Pre-Hospital Critical Care Doctor with Great Western Air Ambulance. Member of the International Life Saving Federation’s (ILS) medical advisory committee.

Mr Martin Blunden, Emeritus UK Chief Fire Officer, part of the team awarded the International Higgins & Langley Award for his contribution to Water Rescue in the UK. With colleague Martin Bills they wrote and implemented the Team Typing approach that is used across the UK today.

Mr Ben Horne Principle of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, RYA Power Boat RTC and Instructor.

Mr Adrian Mayhew - Director of National Operations & Safety, Surf Life Saving Great Britain.

Mr Tom Wright

Coastal Operations Area Commander – Area 9; Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Dr. Dirk Bissinger - Vice President of Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (DLRG), Germany. DLRG is the largest voluntary lifesaving organization in the world.

OUR SPONSORS >

Mr Daniel Harries – NFCC National Resilience Flood Rescue Capability Officer, UK.

Mr. Alistair Read, FRGS - Managing Director O2A Ltd, Former MREW National Training Officer, UK.

Mr. Bart Strijker (MSc) - PhD candidate at Technical University of Delft and Flood risk management consultant at HKV.

STAY UPDATED

MAILING LIST

Day Two at MDL Cobbs Quay

This is an opportunity, for first come first served delegates who attend Day one to attend this day of timed sessions of SAR related workshops and or demonstrations of SAR related equipment. These sessions will be either indoors or if appropriate on or near the water at MDL Cobbs Quay Marina, Poole, UK (just across the Holes Bay). A day aimed at sharing information, discussions and or experiential learning of various flood and water rescue SAR tactics or kit. These sessions will be set into a Stream which when pre-booked and registered to take part, you will follow that set stream for the day in a small group of delegates. These set groups will, be in small classrooms, go out onto the pontoon or on the water in Poole harbour. For example sessions see below - the final details to be set out shortly.

Sessions may be subject to change without notice due to circumstances outside of the organisers control.