Women Firefighters From Around the Globe Meet in Omaha

On Wednesday, May 13, 2009, the biannual conference of the International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services (iWomen) will begin at the Omaha Hilton.  

For four days, women firefighters from around the world will participate in this premiere educational event, which provides attendees with hands-on fire training (tactics and communication, vehicle extrication, etc.), instruction on fireground safety, leadership and career classes, mentoring workshops and more.  Fire chiefs, company officers, firefighters, paramedics, public safety officers, human relations officers and municipal managers are encouraged attend this one-of-a-kind program.

The iWomen conference is enjoying growing popularity both in the United States and abroad, as more women discover employment and volunteer opportunities in emergency services. Some of the highlights of this year’s conference include:

1. Leadership Development, presented by Courtney Lynch, best-selling author of Leading from the Front and Founder, Lead Star
2. First-in Company Officer: Hands-on Training, presented by Cheryl Horvath, Division Chief, Northwest Fire District, Tucson, AZ ; Beth Cousins, Lieutenant, City of Syracuse Fire Department, NY; Suzy Reublin, Lieutenant, Boulder Fire Rescue, CO; Nancy Reublin, Lieutenant, Aurora Fire Department, CO.
3. 2009 Firefighter Survival Seminar: Firefighters & Fire Officers Scared Straight!, presented by Chief Billy Goldfeder, Deputy Fire Chief, Loveland-Symmes Fire Department, Ohio.
4. Ace Your Promotional Oral Interview, presented by Steve Prziborowski, Battalion Chief, Santa Clara County Fire Department
5. Radiological Accident Response, presented by the Technical Resources Group, Inc.

States iWomen Board President Chief Cheryl Horvath, “We’ve got a great conference planned again this year. We’re looking forward to an exciting exchange of knowledge and ideas from both our presenters and our attendees.”

iWomen was formed in 2007 as a joint merger of two long-standing organizations in the fire service – Women Chief Fire Officers and Women in the Fire Service.  The combining of these widely regarded groups has resulted in a broadening of resources, outreach and programming, serving as the voice of women who serve as volunteer or career firefighters and emergency workers.

To register for this year’s conference, or for more information on attending or sponsoring this event, contact Jennifer Cooke, iWomen Program Manager, at staff@i­women.org, or by phone at 703-896-4858.