THE 33rd ANNUAL FIRE MUSEUM SEMINAR

“Preserving What Our Visitors Come to See”

A Project of the Fire Museum Network (FMN) & the Houston Fire Museum (HFM)

October 25-27, 2024

Houston, Texas

 

The 2024 Fire Museum Seminar will be hosted by the Fire Museum Network (FMN) and the Houston Fire Museum, Inc. (HFM), a 501-c-3 educational facility quartered in the 125-year-old and freshly-preserved former Houston Fire Department (HFD) Station No. 7 (a.k.a. “Old 7’s”).   The seminar will be held October 25-27 in Downtown and Midtown Houston and includes a field trip to a privately-run fire museum near Waller, Texas, about 45 minutes from HFM. 

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Plan to travel in by Friday the 25th.  If you are driving, you will be happy to know that the host hotel, The Whitehall, is providing rooms for our group for $169 per night plus tax, single or double occupancy, that also includes nightly valet parking (tipping extra).  Note full hotel details below.  You will get your first visit that evening to the Houston Fire Museum facility just eight blocks from our host hotel where an Open House and Reception should give everyone that feeling of “Houston Hospitality.”

 

On Saturday the 26th, we plan to visit the Edmonds Fire Museum, a private museum with a spectacular ensemble of HFD antique fire rigs and memorabilia, the vision of its late founder William “Butch” Edmonds, himself a career member of HFD.  We plan to pick up some genuine Texas Barbecue for lunch on the return trip as well as visit HFD “Old 6’s,” on Washington Ave. near Downtown, a former HFD firehouse beautifully preserved by owner Tom Hair of Axiom Public Relations.

 

Sunday the 27th will be presentation day with five speakers lined up to discuss topics including historic firehouse preservation, risk management for museums, exhibit development in the digital age. 

 

Each night will provide ample opportunity to meet old and make new friends who share the same passion for preserving the history of firefighting in America that you do.

 

For those planning to fly in, Houston has two major airports, Bush Intercontinental (airport code IAH) and Hobby Airport (code HOU).  About 20 miles due north of Downtown, Bush is the larger by far, is a hub for United Airlines, but also offers service by American and Delta as well as numerous “discount” airlines.  Hobby is about 10 miles southeast of Downtown and is dominated by Southwest Airlines with service as well by American and Delta.  Taxis and ride-share vehicles are available at each airport.  One-way (airport to our host hotel or vice-versa) fares are generally less than $50 plus tip.

 

​Back to the hotel, attendees will be able to utilize The Whitehall’s courtesy van which is available for rides and pickups to local restaurants within the Downtown and Midtown areas for the price of a tip to the driver each way.  So a huge selection of fantastic meal purveyors is easily within reach and return.  HERE IS SOME MORE HOTEL INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW:

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Host Hotel is the WHITEHALL HOUSTON HOTEL - 1700 Smith St - Houston TX 77002

- Toll-free hotel number (may book direct this way) 855-318-8945

- Website (or book online) - TheWhitehallHouston.com. 

- Give agent or enter online this Group Booking Code:  2410HOUSTONFIRE

- Nightly group rate - $169 + tax (Good Oct 24-28 but nights of Oct 25, 26, and 27 would be needed for full seminar program)

- Rooms offered are either one King or two Queen beds; either are at same price stated above

- Group Rate also includes nightly valet parking for one car per room; additional car is $40/night

- The room block expires 10/4/24 or 3 weeks before start of event, after which rates may/will go higher & not include parking

- ANY room booking can be cancelled up to 48 hours before 3 PM of arrival date (i.e. 3 PM 2 days before checkin) so book now with confidence that if you need to cancel, you can up to 2 days before event.

 

 

​ IMPORTANT NOTICE: The museum is housed in a 125-year-old building without an elevator. Seminar presentations will be held on the 2nd floor with closed-circuit TV fed to seats on the ground floor for those preferring not to climb the stairs.  We will ask you to provide on the Registration Form the likely number who plan NOT to take the stairs during the seminar.

 

 

 

 

THE 33rd ANNUAL FIRE MUSEUM SEMINAR

A Project of the Fire Museum Network (FMN) & the Houston Fire Museum (HFM)

October 25-27, 2024

Houston, Texas

SEMINAR SCHEDULE (times & topics subject to change)

NO apologies here for military time; firefighters have to know it, so should fire museum folks

 

FRI., OCT. 25

1500 – 1800                                        Hotel Lobby > REGISTRATION DESK staffed

1530 - 1800                                         Hotel Lobby > Hotel VAN SHUTTLE for hotel guests to HFM

• HFM’s address is 2403 Milam St. if you prefer taxi or ride-share

1530 - 1630                                         HFM > HFM’s Board & Staff hosts WELCOME & OPEN HOUSE

• FMN’s Board meets 1600-1800 in private room at HFM

• Guests at HFM may ride Hotel Van back any time it offloads at HFM

• Please remember to TIP driver EACH time you use the Hotel Van

1630 - 1800                                         HFM hosts “FIREHOUSE RECEPTION” (Board meeting concurrent)

1830                                                       HFM > Last VAN returns to hotel – Dinner (on own) & Networking

 

SAT., OCT. 26

0700 – 0845                                        Hotel Restaurant (2nd floor) > Breakfast & Networking (on own)                 

0730 – 0830                                        Hotel Lobby > REGISTRATION DESK staffed

0900 – 1000                                        Charter BUS > to EDMONDS FIRE MUSEUM, WALLER TX

1000 – 1130                                        Tour: THE EDMONDS FIRE MUSEUM

1145 – 1245                                        Depart for A SPECIAL TEXAS SHOPPING SPREE

1245 – 1345                                       LUNCH: TEXAS BARBECUE on the ride back Downtown

1345 – 1445                                        Tour: HFD “OLD 6’s,” now headquarters of AXIOM Public Relations

1500 – 1630                                        HFM > FMN Members’ Meeting & “Tell Us About Your Museum”

1630 – 1700                                        HFM > Hotel VAN SHUTTLE to hotel – Dinner (on own) & Networking

 

SUN., OCT 27

0700 – 0845                                        Hotel Restaurant (2nd floor) > Breakfast & Networking (on own)                 

0830 – 0900                                        Hotel Lobby > Hotel VAN SHUTTLE assembled guests to HFM

0915 – 1030                                        HFM > Topic: Preserving “Old 7’s”: The Logistical Challenges

1030 - 1145                                         HFM > Topic: Preserving “Old 7’s”: The Financing Roller Coaster

1145 – 1300                                        LUNCH (Catered at HFM)

1300 - 1415                                         HFM > Topic: Risk Management for Fire Museums

1415 – 1530                                        HFM > Topic Operating the World’s Largest Fire Museum

1545 - 1700                                         HFM > Topic: Developing the Exhibit Plan for Fire Museums Today

1700 – 1730                                        HFM > Hotel VAN SHUTTLE to hotel – Dinner (on own) & Networking

 

MON., OCT 28

0700 – 1100                                        Hotel Restaurant (2nd floor) > Breakfast & Networking (on own)

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To Register for the 2024 Fire Museum Seminar by Mail, download the full package HERE.

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On-line Registration on the Houston Fire Museum website is available HERE

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