Going to the Upcoming Hazmat Conference in Baltimore?

Looking to find the latest trends and technology for biothreat response, incident management, hazardous materials identification, or commercial explosive incident response?  Then we will probably see you at the International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference that is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFF).

The purpose of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is to represent the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide.  Their members are the world’s leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety policy, so we expect a knowledgeable and professional crowd.

IAFC states that this hazmat conference is “recognized as a high quality, in-depth conference with cutting edge educational programs designed for professionals at all levels of experience. For over 30 years the Hazmat Conference has offered informative sessions and unique hands-on training designed to tackle the most pressing issues facing hazmat professionals.”

In addition to the 150 educational sessions, more than 100 exhibitors will be demonstrating the latest technology and tools for the hazmat industry.  Here’s a link to the show floor plan.

Register to “ID the Unknown”

Make sure you attend the special networking session on Friday, June 8^th, titled “ID the Unknown.”  This is an annual tradition at the IAFAC Hazmat show, and this year, the Thermo Scientific™ Gemini™ analyzer was chosen to identify unknown chemicals. Gemini is the world’s first handheld analyzer to integrate Raman and FTIR spectroscopy in a single device. Raman and FTIR, the underlying technologies are highly precise optical techniques, each offering distinct advantages. When used together, they provide confirmatory results and a broader range of unknown substance identification. 

Show representatives are looking for five teams of two participants each to participate in the session. The first five teams to register will be eligible to compete. Others will be placed on a waiting list. (Details here.)

If you don’t get picked for one of the teams, don’t worry; you can get a hands-on demonstration of the instrument at Booth 613 where we will be showing several types of handheld analyzers for unknown solid or liquid chemical substances and drugs, including Gemini.  (We also will be giving out a limited supply of t-shirts.)

Get the Mobile App

If you would like to navigate the Hazmat conference like a pro, the show offers a mobile app. Go to your device’s app store or Google Play and search for IAFC Conferences. You’ll be able to download event handouts and presentations, rate sessions, find attendees, and receive important real-time communications.

City Highlights

If you want to get out and see the city, Baltimore has plenty to do. The Baltimore Inner Harbor area offers museums, historic ships and monuments, restaurants, shopping, galleries, exciting nightlife, recreation, and cultural experiences. Unfortunately it looks like the Baltimore Orioles baseball team will be on the road during show days, but if you stay an extra day or two you can see them play the Boston Red Sox.

Hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it, you can follow the show twitter feed @IAFC and use the hashtag #Hazmat2018.

Show Details:

International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference
Booth 613
June 7 – 10, 2018 
Friday, June 8^th Session: “ID the Unknown.”  
Baltimore, Maryland (USA)