FDIC International, the largest training event for the fire and rescue industry in North America, is set to return to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this April.
Featuring products and services from more than 800 exhibitors, the programme is expected to cover everything from offsite Hands-on Training (H.O.T.) evolutions and pre-conference workshops to classroom sessions and partner sessions.
It is also set to include specialist summits, exhibit halls and live activity zones in Lucas Oil Stadium, while attendees will be able to build a visit around command and rescue operations throughout the week.
The programme will address EMS, industrial response and aviation firefighting, while further sessions will explore recruitment and leadership.
Topics such as health and wellness, data use, artificial intelligence, building risk and practical company-level tactics are all key this year.
Taking place 19–25 April, the week-long programme will allow attendees to structure their visit around both hands-on learning and sector-focused discussion.
Proceedings open with a strong pre-conference emphasis on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 April, when participants can move between H.O.T. evolutions, workshops, the Mid‑Rise/High‑Rise Symposium and the first specialist summits.
The official opening ceremony will take place on Wednesday 22 April in the Sagamore Ballroom, led by keynote speaker Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The ceremony will also honour the late Lieutenant Andrew A. Fredericks with the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, setting the tone for a week that includes remembrance events, personal testimonials and the appearance of the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit.
The exhibition side of FDIC 2026 runs from Thursday 23 April to Saturday 25 April.
The Lucas Oil Stadium and connector open from 10:00am to 5:30pm on Thursday, 9:00am to 5:00pm on Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday.
The Indiana Convention Center and Outdoor Exhibits & Demo Area open from 11:00am to 5:30pm on Thursday, 10:00am to 5:00pm on Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday.
Across these three days, the show expands to include the live activity zones, Central Park, the Drill Yard, the Health & Wellness zone and the Sim Yard.
One of the major additions is the MidRise/HighRise Symposium, which will focus on the risks posed by complex buildings, from skyscrapers to sprawling groundscrapers.
Sessions will examine construction hazards, smoke control panels, FDNY highrise officer training and the legacy of World Trade Center codes.
FDIC is also expanding its High Intensity Training Sessions (HITS), running from 22 to 24 April.
The 2026 guide outlines four fourhour blocks built around rapid 20minute presentations delivered by firefighters and researchers. Some sessions will examine firefighter wellbeing.
Spanishlanguage training also returns in 2026, with a fourhour workshop on basic engine and truck operations on Wednesday 22 April, followed by an eighthour H.O.T. session on Thursday 23 April, broadening access for Spanishspeaking fire service professionals.
The EMS Innovation Summit will run on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 April at the Indiana Convention Center and will cover succession planning and operational readiness.
Sessions also examine recruitment challenges and workforce retention.
Further discussions explore systems integration alongside technology adoption, while presentations address finance and legislative change.
The programme also includes peer-led presentations, roundtables and networking opportunities, with meals included for participants.
The 2026 guide adds that EMS attendees will have access to more than 230 hours of CAPCE-accredited continuing education, while Mike Brown of Fort Wayne Fire Department and JEMS is identified as the curator of the reworked EMS offering.
Cadaver Labs are scheduled for Wednesday 22 April and are open to Paramedic and Critical Care Paramedic certifications.
Advanced Practice Paramedic and AEMT qualifications are also eligible to attend.
The week will also include networking activity in the JEMS Lounge and a new Sim Yard in Lucas Oil Stadium from Thursday to Saturday, focused on immersive scenario-based EMS training that includes airway management and incident command.
Beyond EMS, FDIC 2026 is using its summit structure to target defined professional groups. The programme includes the Metro Officers Innovation Briefing together with the EMS Innovation Summit.
The NextGen Fire Rescue Tech Summit, scheduled for 21 and 22 April, will focus on tools shaping the future of firefighting.
Topics covered will include trusted AI together with digital ethics. Sessions will also examine on-scene technology and the National Emergency Response Information System.
Additional discussion addresses immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. The programme also explores robotics and the operational use of drones.
The Industrial Fire Summit brings together industrial safety leaders and fire service personnel dealing with high-risk industrial environments.
The programme includes cross-sector panels covering pharmaceuticals and power generation.
Other sessions examine petrochemical operations alongside heavy manufacturing environments.
Case studies will be presented alongside technical discussions, while a tabletop scenario explores the municipal-industrial interface.
For aviation specialists, the ARFF Summit runs across 21 and 22 April and is aimed at firefighters, chiefs and airport directors from A, B and C level airports.
The programme combines educational sessions with peer exchange, while networking events also form part of the schedule.
Key topics include aviation fire protection and prevention, aircraft rescue and firefighting operations and emergency planning between airports and surrounding communities.
The Women in Fire Conference returns on Tuesday 21 April.
The one-day programme begins with an opening ceremony and continues with educational classes focused on training, support and advocacy for women in the fire service.
The Officers Club, by contrast, is reserved for senior leaders from departments and EMS agencies with 125 or more career personnel, offering breakfast roundtables alongside sponsor meetings.
Participants will also have access to a dedicated lounge on 23 and 24 April.
Lucas Oil Stadium will also function as an immersive skills environment built around several activations.
These include the Drill Yard for tactical instruction and a Health & Wellness zone with discussions alongside complimentary cancer screenings.
The Sim Yard will host EMS scenario training.
Central Park will act as a social and recharge space for attendees.
Remembrance Square provides a place for reflection connected to the legacy of 9/11, while IGNITE will highlight start-ups and smaller businesses presenting emerging technologies.
In the Outdoor Exhibits & Demo Area, the Firefighter Challenge Championship Series will run alongside the main programme, including open practice sessions and qualifying rounds.
Tandem and relay competitions will follow before the individual championship finale.
On Friday afternoon, the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is scheduled in the Lucas Oil Stadium connector, while remembrance activity linked to the 25th anniversary of 9/11 will continue throughout the week.
FDIC International 2026 looks strongest where operational training meets specialist forums and product access.
Departments sending crews for H.O.T. can pair that experience with building risk education or EMS leadership sessions.
Specialist forums also address industrial risk alongside aviation firefighting and technology implementation.
Suppliers and buyers will also encounter a substantial exhibition environment, with more than 800 exhibitors across the venue footprint.
For fire and safety professionals reading ahead of the show, the clearest themes are practical readiness and more tailored summit pathways.
The programme also expands the presence of EMS, industrial and aviation audiences within the week.
