The nonprofit International Association of Wildland Fire announces it is now seeking presentation proposals for the 17th International Fire Safety Summit, held in conjunction with the seventh Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference. The event is set for Oct. 20 through 23 in Calgary, Canada, followed by an overnight field trip to Banff National Park on Oct. 24 and 25. The deadline to submit presentation proposals is May 31.
Organizers say their goal for the program is to have a mix of keynotes, panels, traditional presentations and sessions designed to facilitate conversation and utilize alternative knowledge sharing approaches.
The conference theme is “Wildland Fire: Protecting People and Empowering Communities.” Subthemes include:
- Wildland fire information, misinformation and disinformation: Challenges and opportunities
- Wildfire smoke and health: The good, the bad, the ugly, long and short-term impacts on firefighters and the public
- Wildfire risks: How will changing fire regimes impact risks from wildfire events and acceptance of risk?
- Planning ahead, rebuilding back better or business as usual: Planning for new developments and social, mental health and economic challenges of rebuilding postwildfire
- Indigenous and local governance: Managing and using fire at multiple scales
- Wildfire education: Educating the next generations and professionals for planning ahead of future wildland fires
Wildland fire, natural resource and forestry professionals and students who are interested in the subthemes above are welcome and encouraged to apply to submit a presentation or talk. Organizers say they welcome and encourage working firefighters, Indigenous practitioners and residents of areas prone to wildland fire to submit and share their experiences.
A diverse array of presentation formats are available to support sharing lived experiences and knowledge:
- PowerPoint presentation: 15 minutes plus five minutes for questions and answers or discussion
- Poster presentation during a designated time
- Knowledge sharing circles: 30-minute conversation between three to four presenters, followed by 30 minutes of audience conversation and wrap-up. Presenters share at the same time based on questions prepared in advance by the session lead (submitter). This format allows conversation on focused topic areas in which several people wish to share their experiences and knowledge and ask questions of each other in a structured manner that does not require a formal presentation or PowerPoint slides. The knowledge sharing circles format is based on this model by Liberating Structures.
- Rotating conversation café: 10-minute presentation plus two minutes for questions. The space is set up with three to five café conversation stations where a presenter addresses a group using handouts or just talking. The audience is divided into groups and rotates among the stations. At end of the session, everyone assembles as a group and discusses the experience.
- Lightning rounds with imagery: eight minutes presentation plus two minutes for questions and answers or discussion. The presenter uses one image — a picture, drawing, graphic, etc. — that is important to their presentation topic. Focus is on art/images and short presentations, creating a mixed-media format that is easily accessible to participants.
To submit, applicants need the following:
- Presenter’s full name, email, title and affiliation
- Presentation proposal title
- Description of presentation in 350 words or fewer. What is the problem, research, experience or challenge being presented on or shared? Applicants will be able to review and edit their proposal before it is made public for the conference.
- Additional authors, if applicable. These are people the applicant would like to acknowledge who may or may not be attending the conference. There will be an opportunity to add them later as well.
- Co-speakers, if applicable. These are people who will be presenting along with the applicant. They will be required to register for the conference, and the applicant needs to include their email addresses to add them as co-speakers. There will be an opportunity to add them later as well.
- Preference of presentation type
- Additional information about consent if the presentation discusses Indigenous knowledge
More information is available online at https://wildfiresummit.org/.