Our CEO and founder, Exequiel Gallardo, had the opportunity to attend FDIC in Indianapolis, United States, where he met the leading figures in the firefighting and rescue industry. Here he tells us about the experience.
Every year, the city of Indianapolis, in the United States, becomes the world capital for firefighters, because it hosts FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference), an unrivaled event that brings together the industry’s leading figures to discuss the issues that concern us, share experiences and discover the innovations everyone is talking about.
So you can imagine that for a Chilean firefighter like me, who has worked in emergency services for so long, being there was spectacular and exciting. I was one of more than 36,000 people from 67 countries who attended, and although this was my second time at the event, it is always amazing.
The first thing that caught my attention was the exhibition area, with a long list of brands and organizations, where you can learn about trends in safety and firefighting and also test products first-hand.
If I had to pick the big highlight of this year, it would definitely be electric mobility. Electric vehicles, which are increasingly common in public transport in our country, will surely soon revolutionize emergency units as well.
I was lucky enough to try an electric fire engine from Rosenbauer, the Austrian manufacturer considered the largest in the world, and all I can say is that it was a great moment in my career that I will never forget. I hope that the viability and effectiveness of these new technologies in real situations will not be the future, but the near present for Chile.
Brotherhood without borders
I must say that besides interacting with these big companies, FDIC is also an opportunity to attend workshops and talks and, above all, to learn from fellow firefighters. So honestly, as spectacular as it was to try out and discover products and innovations, what I enjoyed most about the event was the sense of brotherhood among the firefighters there.
This camaraderie goes beyond the differences between volunteer and career firefighters. Regardless of your home country or the language you speak, you can feel the unity among everyone, and you come home with fresh ideas and new friends.
From another perspective, and through the eyes of VIPER, the event was also a good opportunity to network and understand where we stand as an organization compared with other technology startups around the world.
There we were able to spend time with people who are on a path similar to ours, with the same drive to innovate digitally and contribute to emergency services. And honestly, I came away feeling that we are well positioned to compete internationally, especially when we put our value proposition on the table alongside other Latin American experiences.
We came back to Chile satisfied and excited about being at the next FDIC. We also hope that VIPER will soon be on the list of exhibitors and, thinking even bigger, to explore the idea of a “Chile pavilion” together with other startups, to show the strength and talent of our industry internationally.
Why not?