Raleigh Firefighter Convention in Pictures and Video

Last week in Raleigh at the Convention Center the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo 2014 was held. It was my first time attending and besides a large variety of educational classes and extracurricular activities, which I missed, I did manage to drop in on a few events.

For those of us not in the firefighting world the expo exhibits on the big floor would up falling into a few different varieties; air equipment, clothes, trucks, miscellaneous.

A peak over the convention center exhibit hall.
A peak over the convention center exhibit hall.

And in that miscellaneous category I’d have to add men in skirts. While I was there, they bagpipes came out to play with themselves.

You can see some of the raw footage of that event below.

Travis Donaldson from Equipment Testing Specialists shows all the stuff they do to help fire departments.
Travis Donaldson from Equipment Testing Specialists shows all the stuff they do to help fire departments.
Gear.
Gear.
More gear.
More gear.
Trucks, trucks, and trucks.
Trucks, trucks, and trucks.

Saturday was filled with a fire apparatus parade, an exhibit using the 1905 Raleigh Steamer Engine, some firefighter recruit competitions, and a bit of good barbecue.

The parade came first. More on that can be found here and in the video below.

The exhibition of the 1905 steam powered fire engine was very cool. Mike Legeros gave an excellent presentation of the history of the engine.

A fire was built in the engine and a demonstration given on how the old engine has still got the power to pump water.

The old Raleigh steam engine.
The old Raleigh steam engine.
Stoking the fire to fire up the engine. Literally.
Stoking the fire to fire up the engine. Literally.

Once the engine was finally up and powerfully pumping water, some of the guys in attendance took advantage of the cool water.

I so wanted to jump in there.
I so wanted to jump in there.

Following the steamer demonstration there were some fun firefighter competitions among the recruits in the latest Raleigh firefighter class.

Contestants run to there gear to see who can get fully dressed the fastest.
Contestants run to their gear to see who can get fully dressed the fastest.
Everyone had a secret using a different gyration.
Everyone had a secret using a different gyration.
Once finished the recruits grabbed their street shows and headed for a bit of shade.
Once finished the recruits grabbed their street shows and headed for a bit of shade.

The next competition was a team of four where three of the recruits could not see and the fourth team member had to stand in a kiddie pool and direct the three with the hose to hit them in the chest and let the water fall into the pool.

Members of the Stony Hill Fire Department judged the show while Bay Leaf Fire Department members helped with the water.

What you looking at?
What you looking at?
Recruit Brooks barks out directions to hit him with the hose.
Recruit Brooks barks out directions to hit him with the hose.
Brooks is finished and drenched.
Brooks is finished and drenched.
Another team had their turn as well. A very happy firefighter recruit exits the pool.
Another team had their turn as well. A very happy firefighter recruit exits the pool.

Finally there was a bucket competition where teams of four had to fill buckets of water, run across a parking lot, and throw them onto a roof to try to fill a barrel at the end of the downspout.

Scooping the water was the easy part. Running with it, not so much.
Scooping the water was the easy part. Running with it, not so much.
There were many different techniques for throwing the water.
There were many different techniques for throwing the water.
"I hope this makes it!"
“I hope this makes it!”
Not all the water made it into the gutter.
Not all the water made it into the gutter.

Overall it looked like the expo was a big success.

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