Di joined Fire Protection Association Australia and attended the 2023 Fire Australia Conference and Trade Show in Sydney for three days which showcased thought leadership, innovation, networking, and industry excellence. We have shared some highlights of Di's time at the event below and some exciting news about how our charity partner FPA Australia will be directly supporting our research efforts.

Trade Show

Di had the opportunity to check out the trade show, which exhibited some of the most innovative fire protection solutions and insight into industry trends and services. There were over 80 stalls to check out, and a real highlight was learning more about the many facets of fire protection and meeting some of the passionate organisations that are so committed to helping keep our communities safe.

Conference

Di joined Moderator and FPA Australia President Mark Potter, Nick Newton (St James Chambers), and Inspector Michael Forbes (FRNSW) on a conference panel that looked at fire protection on the other side and the real-world consequences to individuals and the community. It discussed the prevalence of poor fire protection in urban and rural areas and how complacency in fire safety can have disastrous impacts on lives and property. An example provided was that at least 40% of homes do not have a working fire alarm! The panel was unanimous in highlighting that prevention and education is vital and that everybody is responsible for ensuring their properties and workplaces have adequate protection measures in place to mitigate the risk of fire.

Conference Gala Dinner and Awards Night

Chubb generously sponsored the Gala Dinner and Awards Night, and it was a fantastic evening that brought together industry leaders and recognised the outstanding contributions to fire protection practices and initiatives. Keeping in tradition, FPA Australia provided the platform to incorporate philanthropy into the evening events and helped raise funds to support our research efforts. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the individuals, organisations and anonymous donors who donated on the evening. 

Announcement:

We are so proud of our ongoing partnership with FPA Australia and their passion for helping us reach our vision of scarless healing in mind and body. We are pleased to announce that thanks to their efforts, together with the kind donations of the fire protection community, a 'FPA Australia PhD Scholarship' will be established to support an early career researcher. This scholarship will have a direct impact on continuing to bring science to the bedside through its capacity to assist us in expanding the body of knowledge in burns research.

Overall, the 2023 Fire Australia Conference and Trade Show was a fantastic event, and we thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by an environment that fostered collaboration, knowledge sharing and embracing technology advancements in their industry. Thank you to everyone who made it so special, and we look forward to the 2024 event, which will be at the Gold Coast.

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