Southern Unconference highlights desire to share more

The second FirePro Unconference was held at Bristol's Colston Hall during February, providing members with the opportunity to share ideas with colleagues on current hot topics.

More than 30 people attended the one-day event which had been rescheduled from July 2014 after industrial action forced its postponement.

During four sessions members split into groups to discuss topics including campaigns, sharing digital content and internal communication. The event also attracted a significant number of designers who gathered for the first time under the FirePro banner to share ideas, work and their experiences.

James Bladon, Corporate Communication Manager at Avon Fire & Rescue Service said: “We were keen to seize on the positive energy following last year’s conference and begin translate that enthusiasm into actions.

“One of the recurring themes of the day was the barriers that exist to sharing all manner of content between each other. There’s lots of goodwill, but a feeling that the technology we have isn’t making the process to share or find content particularly easy.

“This was just one of the topics which came out of the day that we can now look to progress with members who would be keen to drive improvement.

“This was a free event which I hope added value to what FirePro has to offer its members. I’m grateful to all those who came along on the day, with some travelling considerable distance to be there. The quality of the discussions and the ideas around the room were fantastic.

“Thanks should also go to members from the other FRSs in the south who played a key role in the organising and running the event.”