Latest firefighting equipment shown at FRI 2002

Nov. 1, 2002
THOUSANDS of fire and rescue service professionals filled the aisles and booths at the annual Fire-Rescue International Exhibition held August 23-25 in

THOUSANDS of fire and rescue service professionals filled the aisles and booths at the annual Fire-Rescue International Exhibition held August 23-25 in Kansas City, Missouri. They were there to see the latest products and services offered by more than 520 exhibitors.

The Fire-Rescue International Exhibition is part of the annual conference held by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The conference and trade show drew fire service professionals from throughout the world. Attendance was estimated at more than 15,000.

Many of the fire trucks and emergency vehicles on display qualify for purchase under the Assistance to Firefighters Program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Fire Administration (USFA).

Officials at USFA anticipate that 5,500 fire departments across the United States will receive grants in 2002. The federal government allocated $360 million for this year's grants. USFA received 19,500 applications requesting $2.2 billion.

The grants can be used to purchase firefighting equipment, such as pumper trucks. However, ladder units were specifically excluded from the grant program.