BALTIMORE – By 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning, the forklifts will have stopped beeping, the boxes will have been moved, and the fire apparatus all polished and everything will be ready for the show floor to open for Firehouse Expo 2013.
Wednesday afternoon, however, was a different story. Workers were laying red carpet for attendees in the Baltimore Convention Center, exhibitors were setting up displays of their latest goods and service and Firehouse show management were moving a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle that will be given away to a lucky attendee on Saturday.
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One of the exhibitors who was busily working before the show opened was Matt Elmore, product manager for Bullard. He was unpacking some of the latest offerings from his company include a brand new battery management system for thermal imaging cameras.
“We’re looking forward to seeing all the people in her tomorrow so we can show them our new products,” Elmore said.
He predicted one of the hottest items will be camouflage fire helmets with new designs, including a hunting motif with deer antlers. He’s even got a special surprise helmet he would not reveal until the show.
“They’ll have to come over to the booth to see that,” Elmore said.
Mike Bowman, director of sales for Spartan ERC, was putting the finishing touches on a cab and chassis featuring the company’s Advanced Protection System (APS).
“We’re just spit polishing and shining the truck,” Bowman said as he grabbed some tools and hardware items from the trucks rollup compartment. Bowman said he’s anxious to show attendees the APS system which is marking its one-year anniversary.
“It’s taken off like wildfire,” Bowman said. “Seventy to 80 percent of all our cabs and chassis have the system.” Taking a few moments from setting up the display, Bowman pointed out the features of the new technology for Spartan.
He pointed out the knee bolster air bags for the driver and the passenger in the front seats. Opening the rear door, he called attention to the ejection protection system which is a large air bag that deploys covering virtually the whole interior side of the truck, including port and door windows.
He said it’s also a smart system which means it can detect from which direction the impact is happening or the severity of the rollover action and deploy the proper systems to best protect the occupants.
Even the seatbelt tensioners are smart and able to pay out belt to help alleviate chest injuries. “I’m looking forward to showing people the system,” Bowman said.
Down the aisle a bit, dodging a few forklifts and winding through stacks of boxes. Francesca Solano, marketing and communications manager for Lion Apparel, was getting ready to hang up a handful of suspenders on a display.
She took a couple of moments to describe what kinds of things Firehouse attendees can expect to see when the show opens, particularly the company’s new line of gloves.
“We’ll have a full collection of sizing sets of gloves to try on,” Solano said, encouraging attendees to try out the new product and experience the increased comfort and dexterity. “We’ll also have our commander gloves out too.”
Solano said Lion will also be displaying its PBI Max line of turnout gear that has more cuts and better maneuverability for firefighters. She was also pleased to point out Lion’s helmets which are available in custom colors.
“Those colors are not painted on,” she said pointing to a line of helmets on an open-wire storage locker system. “That color is right in the material, it won’t come off.”
As Solano finished up the Lion display, Zac Jordan, marketing manager for Stryker Corporation, was testing out the batteries on the company easy load cot display.
“That’s what we have to do is make sure all the displays are set up and working property,” he said as the cot lifted flawless off the floor and loaded into the simulated ambulance floor. One of the products Jordan said he was hoping attendees would come to see is Stryker’s new XPS product which is short for Expandable Patient Surface.
Jordan demonstrated the device which is attached to the cot’s frame and folds out according to the size of patient’s needs.
The wing-like devices, which can be retrofitted to all Stryker’s cots, increase the width of the cot to up to 34 inches. “It’s like you always have a bariatric cot at all times,” Jordan said.
“You can pick up your really big guy on one call and then fold these in and pick up the little old lady on the next call,” Jordan said.
So, as the carpet cleaning vacuum whirl fades , and the beeping of the forklifts silence, all is ready for the show opening.
Come, for all things are ready.
The show floor will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
