Representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Cayman Islands Fire Service (CIFS) will be attending the Fire Rescue International Conference scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia between 26 and 29 August, 2015.

The conference will afford attendees networking and educational opportunities aimed at honing functional and leadership skills. Ronnie Dixon, Acting Chief Fire Officer, commented that “the FRI conference will provide exposure to the latest and most innovative firefighting tactics, techniques, and technology as well as best practices in emergency management”.

Each of the participants will take part in discussion forums with their international counterparts to exchange information and share experiences. Subject areas to be covered include hazard management, community risk reduction, safety and wellness, administration, operations, and leadership. “We are actively working with our departments, including the Fire Service, to build resiliency by ensuring that training programmes are aligned with business needs, and the FRI symposium fits neatly with that approach”, said Michael Ebanks, Assistant Chief Officer for the Ministry of Home Affairs.

As part of the conference’s development programme aspect, the participants will engage in Continuing Professional Education courses relative to their individual areas of responsibility such as adaptive leadership, mentoring programmes, strategic planning, public policy, and succession planning. Kathryn Dinspel-Powell, Deputy Chief Officer for the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that “the Ministry fully supports the Acting Chief Fire Officer in his efforts to drive higher performance, and we recognise that continuously investing in the professional development of our staff is a critical part of that process.”