Airport Fire Officers Association AGM held at The Emergency Services Show

AFOA chair Simon Petts (pictured) opened proceedings by presenting a cheque for £500 to Kerry James, fundraising manager at the Fire Fighters Charity.

In terms of the AFOA Committee, Petts will now be standing down after many years’ service as chair. From this month, Barry Alderslade has agreed to take over the role for a period of one year.

Kieran Merriman, CFO at BAE Systems, is joining the AFOA Committee, while Simon Lane (deputy CFO at Airbus) will be on board from next year. The Committee actively encourages further AFOA members to join if they feel that they’re able to contribute.

Suzanne Price, international sales and business development Manager at WL Gore & Associates (UK) Ltd, who sponsored the AGM, introduced the company’s latest GORE-TEX structural products including GORE-TEX CROSSTECH PARALLON for superior breathability and thermal protection even in wet conditions and GORE-TEX CROSSTECH PYRAD fabric providing lightweight comfort and protection for technical rescue.

Price’s colleague Oli Willson, UK sales manager for Gore & Associates (UK) Ltd’s footwear products, introduced delegates to the breathability benefits of GORE-TEX CROSSTECH footwear.

The AGM and luncheon was also sponsored by ERDT Emergency Response Driver Training.

2022 Annual Conference

The next AFOA event is the 2022 Annual Conference, which runs at the NEC Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel on 18 October. A limited number of places are still available. For a detailed speaker programme and booking details visit: https://www.afoa.org.uk/events/afoa-mini-conference/

AFOA is planning to return to its traditional two-day conference format, with up to 250 delegates and 20-plus exhibiting organisations, at an event to be held in late March next year. The dates and venue will be confirmed in due course. The 2023 AFOA AGM will be held at The Emergency Services Show.

Formed in 1988. the AFOA is a technical body dedicated to promoting and maintaining the professional image and status of airport fire services within the UK and Ireland, ensuring continued communications between them thanks to an ongoing dialogue designed to share knowledge and Best Practice on all relevant technical and operational matters.

Membership is open to airport fire officers of all ranks as well as local authority liaison officers, manufacturers, training providers and equipment suppliers with whom AFOA regularly collaborates on projects.

*Further information is available on the AFOA website at http://www.afoa.org.uk/