"They can't hear us" - A Special Report From SBC's Philadelphia Seminar 

By Mikkel Schultz, Content Manager, Safer Buildings Coalition

Philly seminar banner

Posted on September 26, 2023

As the 2023 SBC Seminar series enters the home stretch, we stopped in the Philly Metro area, specifically Conshohocken, PA. This is the closest we come to an SBC hometown so the three Philly-based SBC staff members, including our Managing Director John Foley, joined around 50 public safety and industry representatives at Conshohocken's Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus.

This was one of the better-attended seminars this year, and following some early-morning pleasantries over coffee, Mr. Foley and Chris Scruggs, of event co-sponsor Comba, kicked off the day's proceedings.

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Serving as an eye-opening table setter, SBC's Seminar presentation includes a poignant clip from a Season 9 episode of NBC's hit series Chicago Fire in which Fire Fighters Joe Cruz and Christopher Herrmann find themselves trapped in the freight elevator of a burning building, along with two civilians. As the fire rages, Cruz and Hermann try to contact other members of the Department — both inside and outside the building. They can't get in touch with anybody, leading to the sobering realization that "they can't hear us!"

Chicago Fire

… which leads us to the very core of SBC's Mission: The Three Pillars of In-Building Public Safety Communications

three pillars

Throughout the day, members of the audience engaged, asked questions and took notes as Foley and co-presenters from the day's sponsors walked them through the many issues concerning ERCES and in-building public safety communications.

Room

There was also time to check out some of the cool "toys" on display...

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Thanks to everyone who joined us - and to the Montgomery County Training Facility for hosting us.

Sponsor spotlight.

Philadelphia Seminar Sponsor Highlight

We had six sponsors for our Philly Seminar:

Comba

Comba

Belden

Belden

Westell

Westell

Alliance

Alliance

Gamma

Gamma

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FirstNet

Thank you. Without your help, we simply couldn't pull events like this one off!