The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation are pleased to announce the 17th Annual Harry S. Truman Legacy Symposium on May 5-6, 2019. This annual educational conference is held every May on the historic grounds of the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida.
The symposium’s theme this year is “Truman’s Legacy toward Fire Prevention, Fire Safety and Historic Preservation” and is centered on the final report from the 1947 President’s Conference on Fire Prevention. The conference took place from May 6 – 8, 1947 in an effort to “…intensify the work of fire prevention in every town and city in the Nation.” The 1947 report can be viewed here.
“The pivotal question of the 1947 Conference and this year’s Symposium are the same – what can we do as a country to reduce fire loss,” explained Chief Ron Siarnicki, NFFF Executive Director. “This problem remains as consequential now as it was then. The 1947 report provides a structure for addressing this issue while looking at today’s fire service issues including community risk reduction, occupational health, wildland firefighting, and residential fatalities.”
The NFFF and other national fire service organizations recognize the benefits of this unique opportunity to collaborate with Truman experts by revisiting his dedication to fire prevention. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has been asked to assist the Truman Foundation with the development of the Symposium program. The goal of the symposium is to reflect on Truman’s legacy and identify current and future initiatives critical to protecting our nation from fire and other hazards. The symposium will include presentations by fire service leaders and historians, including President Truman’s grandson.
“The NFFF is honored to be working with the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and the Harry S. Truman Little White House on this symposium,” stated Chief Dennis Compton, Chair of the NFFF Board of Directors. “Along with a host of other national fire service organizations like the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), we look forward to examining options that will
advance our collective efforts in fire prevention and fire safety.”
For information about the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, please visit www.firehero.org. For information about the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation, please visit www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com.
Related:
- “The Buck Stops Here” – Improving Firefighter and Community Safety – More than 70 years later, Truman’s legacy lives on in the form of the Truman Fire Service Working Group. The group’s members are dedicated to preventing fires, advocating for safe communities, and preventing firefighter line-of-duty (LODD) deaths. The report from the Truman Working Group and its partner the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation focuses on promoting firefighter and community safety.
- Truman Fire Forum Report Released – The Truman Fire Forum Report reflects the work that was done from the 17th Annual Truman Legacy Symposium and Fire Forum held in Key West, Florida, in May 2019.
- Historic Event added to the Congressional Record – The 17th Annual Harry S. Truman Legacy Symposium and Fire Forum, which revisited Truman’s 1947 National Conference on Fire Prevention, was entered into the Congressional Record on May 23, 2019.
- The Truman Fire Forum – At the Truman Fire Forum on May 7. 2019, three days of events concluded with an agreement on five priorities for the fire service to attack in an effort to make our nation a safer place to live.
- Watch Highlights of the 17th Annual Truman Legacy Symposium – 72-years, to the day, after President Harry S. Truman appeared before his 1947 National Conference on Fire Prevention, fire service leaders and others again gathered to discuss many of the same important issues. This time, as part of the annual Truman Legacy Symposium in Florida. Watch highlights from yesterday’s (May 6, 2019) events.
- Watch Kickoff of Harry S. Truman Legacy Symposium & Truman Fire Forum – Last night fire service leaders and others were welcomed to Harry S. Truman’s Little White House in Florida to kick-off the 17th Annual Truman Legacy Symposium and Truman Fire Forum. Here are the highlights.
