Fire and emergency service procurement processes are often more difficult than traditional government entity procurement and with the emergence of new technology, software, and other innovations it can be difficult to navigate. From the official processes to improving firefighter buy-in and adoption, there are several barriers to success that must be navigated. This class will cover the 10 biggest purchasing pitfalls when it comes to technology and help participants gain insights into the types of questions they should ask vendors to avoid costly and potentially fatal mistakes. Starting with defining the problem to be solved by the purchase, walking through the process itself, and reviewing the various decision points in between; this interactive lecture will review real-life examples of purchasing pitfalls elaborating on the lessons learned to produce the best possible results for a department that is looking to add new resources to the department. Ultimately, this class is built to minimize the risk and maximize the benefit of a technology procurement process, but it is also a great opportunity to use it for other purposes. Whether this is your first tech purchase, or you are a tech procurement veteran, there are lessons to be learned.