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Monday Morning Shoutout – PUMPFIRE.COM

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pumpfire2Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell the url in the title. The truth is that they spell it in all caps on their site so I thought I would do the same.

This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to PUMPFIRE.COM. The site has been going strong since 2003. Up until a recommendation the other day for MMSO I hadn’t checked the site out in a while!! My  bad! Nothing like a refresher to get you back to a decent site with a lot of information. Did I mention they have their own Ladies of PUMPFIRE.COM calendar!!! Maybe we need a Women of Fire Critic calendar!!!

PUMPFIRE.COM is chock full of great content. They update the site regularly and do a great job of covering the VA/MD/PA/NY areas.

I will admit that the site could be modified to be a little easier for the user (and a lot better for the webmasters). Sorry that is the developer side of me! One big way they could improve is a link to the Fire Critic!!! Trust me, it will make any web site POP!

Back to the calendar…you just can’t go wrong with a site that has their own calendar.

Did I mention….the calendar……?

pumpfire

Posted by firecritic on November 30, 2009 • Filed under: Monday Morning Shoutout, News • Tagged: , , ,

House Fire in Fort Lauderdale

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Here is some pretty decent footage from a bystander at a fire in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the 22nd. Apparently in Fort Lauderdale the Cops take the front of the structure. Notice where the PD stops and parks.

You have to watch the video for the very awkward and short communication between the camera operator and a woman who

At 6:00 : “That’s crazy…Is that fabulous? No that is not fabulous.”

Posted by firecritic on November 30, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Gaithersburg Firefighter Injured – House Fire on Video

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Montgomery County, MD Firefighters battled a fire on Chelsey Knoll Terrace. The fire was caught on video although the injury was not.

The youtube video states:

A firefighter from the Gaithersburg -Washington Grove V.F.D. received first & second degree burns to his face and both hands — while fighting this 2-Alarm house fire on Chesley Knoll Terrace about 3:15 AM. The firefighter was transported to a local burn center for treatment.

NBC Washington:

Another report states: A firefighter was sent to a local burn center Saturday after suffering first and second degree burns on his hand, forehead and knee from a massive fire in Gaithersburg. Read more

Posted by firecritic on November 28, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Kuwait Firefighers Tackle Vehicle Fires

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Here is a little inside view of what it might be like to be a firefighter in Kuwait. The first half of the video is mostly a multi-vehicle fire including a bus. The rest is a slideshow which paints a decent picture of what it might be like a day in their shoes. The second video actually has some helmet camera footage…Enjoy

Here is a link to what I believe is their FD website…offered in English. If anyone has anything to chime in just let me know. I would love to hear from a Kuwait Firefighter!!!

Posted by firecritic on November 28, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Meet District Chief Bobby Connelly

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bobby connellyWKRN just ran a story about Bobby Connelly titled “Veteran Nashville firefighter celebrates 50 years“.

Bobby has worked for the Nashville Fire Department for 50 years. You heard that right. Bobby was hired on December 1, 1959.

The story offers:

“My mom passing away in a fire is probably the toughest thing I’ve ever endured,” he added.

His mom died when the NHC nursing home in Nashville caught on fire on September 25, 2003. She was one of 16 people  who lost their lives in the six-alarm fire.

“I try and take her attitude and try and think about the worst thing that could happen to you, and something good is going to happen, and it did,” Connelly said. “All those people that lost their lives over there ended up getting bills past that put sprinklers in nursing homes”.

I remember reading about the fire. Connelly ran the call that day where his mother died. May parents actually live in the Mt. Juliet area just outside of Nashville.

Take a minute to read about Bobby Connelly. Not too many of us decide to work 50 years….In my department we have a 44 year guy which I believe is the record for the deparment.

Continue reading including video and photos… Veteran Nashville firefighter celebrates 50 years

Posted by firecritic on November 28, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: ,

House Explosion in Bushnell, Illinois

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The video embed code is disabled. That is usually enough for me to keep going and forget all about it. I have always wondered who posts a video to youtube but doesn’t want anyone to see it? However, this video is pretty decent footage prior to FD arrival. The explosion leveled the house. The house is located in Bushnell, Illinois.

explosion

The video states:

The home at 519 Washington St. was leveled by a gas explosion around 2:30 p.m. The blast was heard little over seven miles away and also caught one other house on fire, leaving a large crater in the roof. It was not known if those occupants were home when the fire started.

No injuries were reported, but an ambulance was called for a firefighter reportedly having chest pains.

The occupant of the house Bradl Thompson, was outside with his dogs at the time. His wife was believed to be at work at the time.

Houses on the gas line and sewer system were also evacuated as well as those at least one block away on either side according to Bushnell Police Chief Merv Hilliard. At about 6:30 p.m. police said residents were being allowed back into their homes.

Firefighters from Macomb, Emmet-Chalmers, Good Hope and Adair fire departments were called in to help the Bushnell-Prairie City Fire Department battle the two fires.Fire Department

Click here for the video

Posted by firecritic on November 28, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Thanksgiving Day Fire Videos

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Here are some videos of fires which occurred on Thanksgiving Day 2009. I will probably add more videos throughout the day Friday as they are uploaded to youtube. Feel free to submit a link  or send in your photos/info.

Unknown Location

Part 1 of 2 – This fire was apparently recorded by the owners/occupants of the house. According to the data on youtube, the fire started shortly after they parked a classic corvette after taking it for a spin.

Part 2 of 2

Santa Maria, California

Fire in Santa Barbara County, California on Thanksgiving day.The Santa Maria Fire Department responded to this fire in Tanglewood on Teakwood drive. More on the fire here.

Sandwich, Massachusetts

House Explosion in Sandwich, Massachusetts. FireGeezer has the spectacular photo from the explosion here.

SANDWICH Joseph Kuzava was seriously injured when the home he rents at 8 Chaucer Street apparently exploded early this morning. A water heater was installed at the home yesterday, according to family members, and Kuzava complained about a smell of gas following the installation.

Kuzava suffered second-degree burns to his upper torso and was flown by medical helicopter to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, his sister Cathy Kuzava said this morning. He was put on a respirator because of the heavy medication doctors administered but he is expected to survive, she said.

Terre Haute, Indiana

House fire in Terra Haute, Indiana…with rekindle OOPS!

London

Peckham fire in London. FireGeezer has more on it.

Another Peckham fire video

North Reading

Here is a link for a cabin fire in North Reading (PA?). The lack of hydrants added to the difficulty in putting out the fire. They disabled the embed code.

Fairfield, Connecticut

Chemical fire at Southport warehouse

Narola, Azamgad district, UP

If you can understand it or know more info on it let me know!!

Nova Scotia

Last but not least…a fire at Hooters in Dartmouth Nova Scotia

Posted by firecritic on November 27, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video – Family Dollar Fire in Rochester NY

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This video is shot by Guy Zampatori and begins a little earlier than some of the other video I have seen on the fire.

FireGeezer did a write up on this fire here. Bill has been following the stories of dollar stores burning for several months now.  STATter 911 also did a story on the fire here. Statter goes into depth on the fire which has arson written all over it.

Posted by firecritic on November 27, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Fire and EMS Thanksgiving Contest

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408910328v5_480x480_Front_Color-Khaki

Win a Fire Critic apron

The Fire Critic is having a Thanksgiving contest. The contest is simple and geared towards those of us who have to work this Thanksgiving.

All you have to do is share your favorite recipe for Thanksgiving. It could be a special turkey recipe, secret stuffing recipe, grandmas corn pudding, or grandpa’s after dinner drink. Share the recipe in hopes that it helps the crews who work this Christmas make an unforgettable meal.

Photos are more than welcome too!!! Send in photos of your crew at the table, your finished recipe, or your crew at work. I will share all the photos sent in (INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE)!!!

Anyone can enter….even Sven in Sweden and Pierre in France!!!

We will post all of the recipes and photos and then we will have a judge pick the winner!

Contest entry details: submit your favorite Thanksgiving recipe to FireCritic@FireCritic.com or in the comments section. Feel free to send in photos of the meal, recipe, your crew at work, or your crew at the dinner table.

Who can enter: Anyone can enter, you don’t have to be at work, you don’t have to be a firefighter.

What will you win: A brand new Fire Critic apron (view the apron here)

When can you enter: from the time this is posted until midnight of Thursday, November 26th.

This contest was inspired by @nemofightsfire. Be sure to follow him on twitter!!!

Posted by firecritic on November 25, 2009 • Filed under: Contests, News • Tagged: , , ,

The Fire Critic is on the Hunt

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Hey readers,

I was on the phone with Fire Daily the other day and learned a lot. It is always fun to catch up with fellow bloggers and readers.

If anyone ever wants to chat, hit me up on facebook and my cell phone number is under info. All I ask is that when you friend request me put something like “Fire Critic” in the message so I know where you are coming from. Once you get my number, feel free to call and chat.

John Mitchell of  Fire Daily and I enjoyed a conversation about an upcoming event for the two of us that you all will be sure to enjoy…if we can pull it off.

One thing that we spoke about was how John got into blogging. I always find it interesting finding out what got people into blogging.

I made the statement that all of the “Fire” bloggers are East Coast/Midwest firefighters. Not to discount the “wildland” firefighting blogs, but they are mostly different than the structural firefighting blogs (just trust me that there is an obvious and defined difference).

I am not sure why, but there is really only one blog that would fit into the same genre as many of the mainstream fire blogs and that one has medic in the name…The Happy Medic (he covers both fire and EMS sides well).

I am not saying that there aren’t any West Coast firefighting blogs (non-wildland that is), but that I don’t know of any right off the top of my head.

Just to be clear, there are some great West Coast firefighting blogs but most/if not all of them focus on wildland firefighting.

I want to know of blogs you think I am missing out on. I want to know about West Coast firefighting blogs. I want to know about all firefighting blogs if you think I don’t know about them! Just leave a comment.

Oh yeah…and I am looking for a company who wants to be involved in a leather helmet give-away just before Christmas too. Let me know if you are interested in an excellent marketing idea!!!

Posted by firecritic on November 25, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged:

Video – Pier Fire in Atlantic City

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In no way does this look like a fun fire at all. The amount of thick black smoke is not amusing at all. Here are two videos, I will check back later for more because they are just being uploaded to youtube now.

The story is here:

ATLANTIC CITY – November 21, 2009 (WPVI) — Atlantic City fire crews battled a multi-alarm fire on the Atlantic City pier Saturday evening.

“All of a sudden it just erupted, it just exploded, we got all of our stuff down,” arcade operator Chris Ornduff said.

“In one minute, first you saw smoke and then one minute later flames were shooting 30 feet in the air,” arcade manager Chris Burke said. Read the entire story

Bonus Video

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Bonus video from after the fire

Posted by firecritic on November 24, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Midland Park, NJ 3rd Alarm Church Fire

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7 alarm fire in Midland Park. Ok, not exactly. The first fire was 4 alarms, the second fire at the same location later in the evening was 3 alarms. 7 alarms in total, just not at the same time.

MIDLAND PARK, New Jersey (WABC) — A fire at a church and school in New Jersey has been deemed suspicious.

The fire, which started late Monday night, re-ignited Tuesday morning at the Good Shephard Episcopal Church on Godwin Avenue in Midland Park.

Firefighters from several communities responded.

The fire raged from the roof for a second time after the flames reignited. The fire prompted a quick response from the members of the volunteer fire department, many of whom had been at the scene earlier battling a four-alarm blaze. Read the entire story here

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Posted by firecritic on November 24, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Here’s One For the Ladies

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Its ok…The Fire Critic is secure in his masculinity and can handle posting male firefighters with washboard abs on the blog!

Check out this video on the making of a firefighter calendar.

However, not to be outdone I did find a “making of” for the Fire Girls calendar. BE WARNED, this might or might not be Safe For Work. Just to error on the side of caution you might just stick to the dudes above.

Ok, lets get back on track with the 2010 Toronto Firefighter Calendar below:

Posted by firecritic on November 24, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Tuesday Morning Job Security Check – The Merry-Go-Round

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In an effort to get us all to scratch our heads this morning, these idiots decide to power a merry-go-round with a car. The good news is they were uninjured, the bad news is they were uninjured.

This previous video shows that the moped is a more efficient way of powering a merry-go-round. The good news is that I believe the girls in this video made a full recovery, the bad news is that the other idiots were uninjured. This is also known as the roundabout girls video. As far as I have researched, no one was killed in this stunt. Link here

Posted by firecritic on November 24, 2009 • Filed under: News, Tuesday Morning Job Security Check • Tagged: , , ,

Plenty of Roof Work for Everyone

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Check out this 3rd alarm fire in Allentown, PA. The fire shows that there is plenty of roof work for everyone before they had to back off to an adjacent roof and move to a defensive attack. It is hard to tell what is going on inside or on the ground because the video doesn’t show it. However, by all accounts these guys should be content with the work of the day. After all, there was plenty of it!

Posted by firecritic on November 24, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Monday Morning Shoutout – TNFireNews.com

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This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to TNFireNews.com.

That is right….for those of you who didn’t know that Tennessee had a State Fire News site they do now. Andrew Catron began the site to fill the void and has been learning the ins and outs of running a State Fire News web site.

Please stop in and check out the site that is only a couple weeks old.

Be sure to submit your news, apparatus, new deliveries, training, and all else you would like to share!

Click the image to view the site!

tnfirenews

Posted by firecritic on November 23, 2009 • Filed under: Monday Morning Shoutout, News • Tagged: , ,

Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Firefighters

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This top ten list could  be easily used year round. Be it birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or whatever these gifts are bound to make you popular with the firefighter you gift them to.

I challenge you to come up with a better list!

Just in case you are wondering…I have not been paid or solicited by any of the mentioned products or companies I might name or link to below.

20080502115428_Photo10. Leather Helmet – Every firefighter eventually grows up and gets a leather helmet. While the argument continues in forums everywhere those of us who have grown up to become firefighters know that leather helmets are the way to go…the only way to go. Whether you decide on  Phenix, Paul Conway/Lion, or Cairns/MSA your firefighter will be happy to finally be inducted into the life of a FOOL! While a leather helmet can be rather expensive it is well worth the money! Go ahead and take the plunge but be sure to check with your firefighter to ensure you are purchasing the helmet of their dreams. You can purchase any of these helmets at TheFireStore.com.

9fbp46511c64289. Firefighter Angel Pin – This angel pin was worn on my gear for years. I have recently realized that my angel is no longer with me. I need to get another one soon (my wife is reading over my shoulder so I should be golden). Seriously, this little angel is a great addition to your firefighter’s gear. Especially if they carry everything including the kitchen sink in their pockets…Since this little angel only weighs a couple ounces. If you must mix gold and silver, there is another version of the angel here. Just don’t let the fashion police find you on the fireground! For only about $5 you can stuff any firefighter’s stocking with this little angel.

Smokin Hot in Texas

Smokin Hot in Texas

8. Firefighters Calendar - Speaking of angels, you could stuff these angels in your firefighter’s stockings too. Whether your firefighter fancies male or female firefighters posing half naked I am sure you will find a calendar they like. Some of the calendars showcase actual firefighters who are calendar worthy and others showcase hot models who look the same. Many of the calendars were created to raise money for charities so your money will be well spent. Plus what firefighter, male or female, wouldn’t want this hottie hanging in their locker?

Here is a link to some Firefighter Calendars

Click here for more information on the female firefighter calendars. Complete with the Fire Critic’s view, photos, and links!!!

god_save_the_truck_tshirt-p235979589603533057yjdt_5257. Happy Medic Apparel - After following the Happy Medic’s great adventure with Medic 999 don’t you just feel as though you have to furnish your firefighter in official Happy Medic apparel? That is what I thought! Check out what the Happy Medic has to offer here. Nothing says that your firefighter is in touch with their masculinity like wearing a shirt that says “I Go Both Ways” on the front and “Firefighter/ Paramedic” on the back!

There are plenty of options including “God is the Squad”, “God Bless the Engine”, “God Save the Truck”, and “God Help the Medics”! View all of the options of Happy Medic gear here.

cafepress shirt white6. Fire Critic Apparel – You can’t go wrong with some very easy to spot Fire Critic apparel. Whether it be a beer mug, apron, t-shirt, or coffee mug we have you covered. Your firefighter will garner much respect showing up anywhere in official Fire Critic garb! If you are really serious you can outfit your firefighter wife or girlfriend in the official Fire Critic thong!

Check out the store here for all of the options available. The best part is that if you don’t see what you want you just let me know and I will create it!

The link is here for the Fire Critic store!

cupinservice-a-okla5. FireGeezer Mug - I don’t have a figure on the number of FireGeezer mugs sold but I imagine it is a couple! I got mine soon after they were offered and have enjoyed it. I also bought one for a friend of mine who uses it at the station every day. If you don’t have a FireGeezer mug you should. If your firefighter doesn’t have one they should. Get off of your arse and order one today.

Plus you can’t go wrong with a mug seen around the World!

black helmet apparel4. Black Helmet Apparel - I must say that the Black Helmet Apparel is pretty decent looking stuff! Whether you are looking for a female or male firefighter, Black Helmet has some stuff that everyone will like. Nothing says I am one bad Em Effer like a SKULL! The variety of apparel is awesome plus there are sales going on now.

In addition to all that, just check out their model!!! HOT! Anyways, the company is firefighter owned and operated. The gear is made in the USA! Plus it doesn’t hurt that they have fully accepted social media and have used them to grow their business!

Black Helmet on twitter, facebook, youtube, and myspace!

Visit Black Helmet Apparel online here!

blackjack holder3. Blackjack Flashlight Holder – Another “By firefighter, for firefighter” company, Blackjack Flashlight Holder is a very unique tool. All firefighters know that it sucks to get into a house on fire only to realize that your flashlight is back on the rig. Now you don’t have to forget and you can look cool as shit while wearing your flashlight! These little products only weigh a couple of ounces and can fit in any firefighters stocking. They also offer t-shirts and stickers. Blackjack has just recently gotten into twitter and has a facebook page too!

Be sure to include this in the shopping for your firefighter! Link to the main website here.

phoca_thumb_l_valko shield2. Custom Helmet Shield or Radio Strap - Ok, I admit that you will probably not get a custom helmet shield or radio strap by this Christmas (this is being posted on 11/21/09). However, this is likely to be a popular post years into the future.

There are two companies of note when talking about custom leather shields or custom leather radio straps – Box Alarm Leather and Firefightershields.com.

Box Alarm Leather has been around for years and is currently not accepting custom orders. What that means is that these guys are the American Choppers of custom leather shields and radio straps. Box Alarm Leather is run by Andrew Arnold who is on the job in DC. He and his wife run the company and keep busy. I can say that his stuff is some of the best in the business!

Firefightershields.com – There isn’t too much information on the website except for some examples of shields and and email to contact for ordering. It looks like they know what they are doing.

Two other options here and here.

Monopoly Firefighter Edition

Monopoly Firefighter Edition

1. Firefighter Monopoly - Lets be honest, everyone loves to play Monopoly. The latest in Monopoly is the Firefighter edition. The only thing better than Firefighter Monopoly would be turning chutes and ladders into a drinking game!

I have plugged the firefighter edition monopoly plenty in the past (after all I am the second in google search). I am sure they are selling just fine. However, at just under $40 bucks this is the ultimate gift for the firefighter who doesn’t have one already!!!

The official site is here.

Let me go one step further for you…

This is what the entire list would cost you if you decided to make give your firefighter a “Fire Critic Top Ten” Christmas or whatever other occasion you might be looking for!

Leather Helmet….$462 (New Yorker through the Fire Store)
Firefighter Angel Pin….$5.06 (here)
Firefighter Calendar…..$21.95 (New York City Firefighters 2010 Deluxe Wall Calendar)
Happy Medic t-shirt……$12.95 (here)
Fire Critic beer stein……$16.09 (here)
FireGeezer Mug…………..$12.00 (here…more outside the US)
Black Helmet t-shirt…….$19.95 (here)
Blackjack Holder………..$21.99 (here)
Custom Leather Shield…$75 (here)
Firefighter Monopoly…..$39.95 (here)

Therefore you could give your firefighter a “Fire Critic” Christmas for a mere $686.94. That really is not all that bad for all the cool stuff you are looking at above! I know it seems like a lot, but if you take away the leather helmet you are only looking at $224.94, not bad for 9 really cool items!

If you have something to add just let me know in the comments.

and again….I don’t get anything out of this but the warm feeling of helping out my readers get connected with some great gifts!!!

If anyone out there gets a large portion of these gifts for Christmas I would love to hear about it!!!

If you are thinking of how to let your loved one know about the Fire Critics Top Ten Christmas list just leave it on your computer so they will find it!

Posted by firecritic on November 21, 2009 • Filed under: News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: ,

Forums – Moderation or Not?

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While speaking last night on Burnin it Down, I brought up something that I have had more time to think about. Chris asked me why more firefighters weren’t embracing social media. I stated that I felt firefighters were embracing blogs…but maybe not other forms like twitter and facebook.

I would like to say that maybe I was wrong about the blogs.

I do feel as though more firefighters need to embrace social media. More departments do to.

However, this post is about why they aren’t. I stated on the show that maybe some firefighters were shell shocked from sites like Firehouse.com forums and The Watchdesk.

Firehouse.com forums

Firehouse forums were originally very widely used and respected. Then came the idiots who ruined it. There was moderation to a point. After a while more idiots joined in and more moderation was necessary. The moderation needed to keep the forums civil got to a point where the moderators were spending too much time moderating (I am pretty sure they were also the webteam for the site).

In the end the forums lagged and many of the biggest names on there left.

Was the moderation necessary? Was it Censorship?

The WatchDesk

The Watchdesk has been a completely different animal. They have moderators too but the site is very loosely watched over. Some say it is the truth from the boots on the ground. I know for a fact that few would say what they type being an anonymous username. Most of the moderation I see is when people don’t follow the rules…not really what they say.

Is it moderation? Is it Censorship?

Some people say that moderation is censorship and that any form of moderation or censorship is bad. They think that whatever people want to say should be allowed, accepted, and posted. Someone made the comment that a forum should be totally uninhibited and not moderated or censored at all. Your mother, wife, and grandmother are fair game.

Just ask Dave Statter about moderating. He has gone through comments that just shouldn’t be printed. However, he is very light at moderation and a lot of comments that might not be print worthy are online. This is his way of appealing to the masses. I am not saying it is right or wrong. Just ask me…I know all about moderating comments on a blog…I was nearly hung at a Union meeting for comments that others made on a blog I run. Some of the comments made by some who were going to do the hanging. I was responsible because I did or didn’t allow the comments. It is a tangled web for sure!

So I ask you. Do you think that forums/blogs should be moderated or not. Do you view moderation as censorship?

There is a whole lot more to this discussion I might add in the future. Give me your thoughts on this ideal first though.

Posted by firecritic on November 20, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , ,

The Mouth of the South

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Not really, but I have been called many things!

I had a comment left by The Road Doctor (http://livinthedream-fire.blogspot.com/). After enjoying Burnin’ it Down last night on TheBravestOnline.com, he asked when I was going to start my own radio show or podcast. It might have been in jest, that isn’t the point. The point is that I have thought about doing a podcast for a while now. Only recently have I come across the radio show Burnin it Down.

I was actually on the cusp of doing a podcast recently. I had even sent out a couple of emails to see if any other bloggers were interested in doing one together. They didn’t and I didn’t move further with the idea. However, I want to!

As for doing a radio show…it is a possibility. It probably wouldn’t be every two weeks and I don’t have a “Bart” to screen calls. I say it is a possibility because I think it is great. Burnin it down is an excellent show.

I am not worried about copying the idea…after all there isn’t just one fire blog or just one podcast right.

I do have a new column that will be showing up soon. I think it will be interesting.

So let me know what you think. Do you crave another fire radio show, want to hear me talk in a podcast, want to hear a collaborative podcast between me and a guest or other blogger, or should I just keep to the written word?

Let me know if I am leaving out an option you might be interested in as well.

Here is the link to Burnin it down…you can listen to last nights show or any of the others.

Posted by firecritic on November 19, 2009 • Filed under: News

Tune in Tonight – Burnin’ it Down

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Tune in tonight to Burnin’ it Down, the online radio show for firefighters. Chris David of TheBravestOnline.com will be your host with Chief Rick Lasky as a guest. There is also a possibility that yours truly will make an appearance. We will just have to see how the conversation goes!!!

Link – TheBravestOnline.com

Posted by firecritic on November 18, 2009 • Filed under: News

Fire Fight the Smears

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The Boston Local has been fighting the smears for a while now. They have created a website (FireFightTheSmears.com) recently to provide more information to the public. The site is very informative and its sole purpose is to fight false information and allegations from their Mayor.

This is my take on the site…I think that the Boston Local has created a great product. The product being the web site, and the most beneficial part of it being the “Who We Are” section. Sure, the “Fact Vs. Fiction” part is great but the “Who We Are” section really makes the site unique.

Why you might ask? Because it provides a face for the public to view.

Lets be honest, all the public cares about is that we answer THEIR call for help. They don’t care if we answer Ms. Parker’s 911 call down the street. They don’t care about who we are, what we do, or who we go home to in the morning.

“Who We Are” could change all of that.

Back in the day, firefighters were pictured in the paper all of the time with news of what we were doing. We were special to the public and the newspaper knew it. Now the paper loves to print when we screw up. If they won’t do it for us then we must do it ourselves. Put our firefighter, our pictures, our stories, our plights on the computer of our citizens. Use twitter, facebook, youtube, flickr, and wordpress just like Boston’s Local has!

The Boston Local is on to something….I promise you that! What I recommend is your Local/Department/Crew doing the same thing. Oh, and one other thing…there should be a backlog of every Boston Firefighter waiting for their mug and info to show up on FireFightTheSmears.com!!!!

Great job guys!

Posted by firecritic on November 18, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Why Wear it? Just Take it Off!

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The following is not directed towards the department in the video but to everyone.

The video below shows a small house with some fire. By all accounts, the firefighters did a decent job knocking down the fire and I would imagine there was more fire prior to this video beginning recording.

What I found humorous was the commentary coming from near the camera. I don’t know who it is but most of it seemed like unnecessary micromanagement (if it came from an officer). If it came from a spectator I would have soaked them to shut them up.

What I wanted to talk about is the firefighters who wore SCBA packs on their backs but didn’t utilize the clean air contained inside and rather breathed the toxic smoke. I don’t know about you but I find this disturbing.

We all know that it is impossible to work on the fireground without breathing in at least a little smoke, but this seems idiotic.

Maybe they didn’t get the memo about smoke causing cancer…especially smoke from all that stuff which might be burning in a house.

I recommend using the SCBA and breathing the clean air inside…or just taking the pack off. Why wear it if you aren’t going to use it. They were put on the rigs for a reason.

I grew out of that macho, smoke breathing, invisible, can’t hurt me mindset a long time ago. I realized that if I am going to make a life of being a firefighter and still try to live a long life and enjoy my family that I should decrease all risks I have control over.

The point is where the pack and use it!. Breathe the clean air, and decrease your chances of getting all the cancers which have killed firefighters for years.

On the flip side of the coin is how in the world can firefighters fight for presumptive cancer benefits when we have video showing actions such as these. It would be hard to argue your case for presumptive laws if the other side of the aisle is streaming video like this.

The video:

Posted by firecritic on November 17, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: ,

Monday Morning Shoutout – FireGroundPhotography.com

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This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to FireGroundPhotography.com. Steve Allen runs the site  to promote his excellent fireground photography!

I can speak for myself (as a self proclaimed amatuer photographer) that it is all about being in the right place at the right time.

Steve has been in that place a lot!

Based out of Virginia Beach, Steve has been a Career Naval Firefighter for the past 12 years. He was a volunteer Firefighter with the Budd Lake Fire Dept in Morris City NJ. He has been capturing the action on fire/ems scenes since 1994.

All of his photos on this site are for sale. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at stephen.allen@firegroundphotography.com

Here is a taste of the site. Click on the picture for more!!!

firegroundphotog

My only question is this: If Stephen gets all these great shots of fires in Virginia…Why the heck isn’t he sending them in to VAFireNews.com?

If you have an idea for the MMSO then let us know!!!!

Posted by firecritic on November 16, 2009 • Filed under: Monday Morning Shoutout, News • Tagged: ,

The Newest Innovation in the Fire Service Today

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bravestonlineChris David has created something that in my opinion is the newest innovation to the fire service…Burnin’ it Down. Burnin’ it Down is an online radio show. How freakin cool is that.

I found the show on a recent glance at TheBravestOnline.com. Chris David is recording his 8th show on the 18th. The show is taped live and you can call in to chat! Think of this as a podcast on steroids. Chris doesn’t do this to hear himself talk, he does it to hear you talk! I blogged about the show previously here.

I have thought about doing podcasts in the past, but I think this might be more my speed….if I had time. Luckily, Chris already has it covered!

Chris is definitely on to something here! I have listened to several and they are great!

With all this emphasis (rightfully so) on EMS and Social Media, this is a perfect example of how firefighters are making it work too!

There is one thing that I have always found to be paramount as a webmaster…Promoting other webmasters. This goes for blogging as well! One thing that many people don’t know about me is that I run VAFireNews.com. That is where I was able to forge friendships with other webmasters/bloggers whom I have been able to lean on when I need help or have a question and same has gone for them.

While I have never met Chris David I know his type. He runs one hell of a website and is like me in that he does it for you guys/gals not for himself.

Chris and I recently spoke via email after I found his live radio show and listened to the taped version (he tapes them live and then posts the recorded show on the site for those who miss it).

I have always been very fond of new innovations especially in the online marketplace. While I am not sure Chris will be retiring on the money he makes from TheBravestOnline, but he should be! Companies need to realize the benefits of marketing/advertising on these sites and spend the money on them (look for a future post on this soon)!

Fire Critic side note: TheBravestOnline.com uses YourFirstDue.com for their web hosting. I recommend YourFirstDue.com and I think a lot of others would as well. You would not believe the growth in sites who have created new sites or switched over from other formats. Plus it doesn’t help if they are an advertiser on VAFireNews.com and have been for years now!!! Oh yeah…that is a plug!!!

Great job Chris!

Read the entire layout of information on the radio show Burnin’ it Down and TheBravestOnline.com.

The Bravest Online Presents “Burnin’ It Down”, An Interactive Radio Show

No one has done it. It’s live, just like a fire scene. Welcome to “Burnin It Down” a place where firefighters can interact live. It’s not a forum, but rather a live Internet radio show that allows firefighters to call in and discuss hot topics. Accompanied by a chat room the show includes special guests, free give-a-ways, and in depth discussion on topics firefighters care about

The 8th episode airs this Wednesday November 18th, 2009 at 7pm central time. This special 90 minute show will include special guest Chief Rick Laskey. This Wednesday the audience will again be allowed to call in a discuss topics live over the air and participate in the popular chat room. Ride Backwards.com is giving away free Athletic Wear T-Shirts to callers. The show will continue to discuss current events, safety, and the future of the fire service….all LIVE! The show can be accessed by logging on to TheBravestOnline.com. The chat room opens at 6:15pm central time and stays open 30 minutes after the show. Anyone can call in or participate in the live chat

ABOUT TheBravestOnline.com –

A leader in fire service media, TheBravestOnline.com has developed “Burnin’ It Down”. The website features daily updates of fire service related videos and forums. The founder, Chris David, recently created “Burnin’ It Down” which has since soared across fire houses. The “no limits” show has no boundaries and continues to shock viewers.

About RIDE BACKWARDS –

RIDE BACKWARDS is a firefighter owned and operated small business, which designs and sells quality firefighter athletic wear. RIDE BACKWARDS customers include individual firefighters from around the globe, as well as firefighter softball, hockey, and combat challenge teams. Some of its specialty products include Nike Dri-FIT® performance tees, shorts, compression tees, and heavy-duty tackle twill hooded sweatshirts.
Founded in 2007, RIDE BACKWARDS has established a new market and raised the standard for firefighter athletic wear. The crew at RIDE BACKWARDS is devoted to combining traditional fire designs with the latest in comfortable, high-performance apparel – “bringing the best to the bravest.”

Posted by firecritic on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , ,

Is History Being Made?

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I don’t know about you guys but I cannot stop checking in on “The Project”. For the couple of you who just crawled out of underneath a rock, “The Project” is a meetup between a UK Medic (Medic 999) and a San Fran Medic (Happy Medic).

I will assume that most of you know what I am talking about.

I just can’t get enough of this whole project. It has actually taken a life of its own. While Justin (HM) and Mark (M999) enjoy their time together in California, the twitter and facebook EMS Nation is hard at work making it better. However, that EMS Nation might not be working as hard as Ted Setla and Chris Eldridge who are filming “The Project” to turn it into a pilot episode of an EMS documentary titled “Chronicles of EMS”.

To many readers it seems as though everything has melded into “Chronicles of EMS”. To me there is still a very defined boundary between “The Project” and “Chronicles of EMS”. However, I have no problem with many transposing the events into one and spreading the word. However, I could be totally off base on this whole thing…that is just the way I see it.

So we are clear (in my mind)…

“The Project”: Meetup between Happy Medic and Medic 999 that was dreamed up after the two bloggers met and began discussing differences between the US and England. We soon found out it was more than a language barrier.

“Chronicles of EMS”: The filming of and eventual editing, producing, and releasing of a pilot episode showcasing “The Project”. At this point we will only be seeing the US side. Apparently no roads lead to the UK leading many of us to wonder how we got here in the first place.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Some of you might be sick and tired of the whole deal…I don’t care.

What is really interesting me is how this whole event has grown via some movers and shakers in the EMS Nation of Social Media (I deliberately leave out the word fire even though I know that some of us are involved…remember I am an EMT too). Guys and gals who are currently leading the social media movement for EMS have been utilizing blogs, twitter, facebook, video, and other social mediums.

If you would like to know who those movers and shakers are:

Now I hope you don’t think I am trying to take away from either project by trying separate the two. In all actuality, it seems as though Justin and Mark are realizing how hard it is to keep everyone not in San Fran up to date. That comes with the territory. Luckily for us, Setla and Eldridge are there to post to facebook and twitter what is going on along with Mark and Justin.

It is hard to understand what effect “The Project” and “Chronicles of EMS” will have on EMS. One thing is for sure, it is getting people involved with social media. The real effects that all of this will have on EMS might not be realized for a long time.

I think that in the wake of the awesome work done at the EMS Expo and now this, we will be seeing a lot more of this social networking becoming a part of mainstream EMS.

  • What do you think will be the impact of these projects?
  • How have you changed your social media usage since witnessing this project?
  • How do you plan on making differences to use social media better?

You just have to wonder how much impact this whole event will have on EMS!!!

Check out the latest update from all four of the guys!!

Posted by firecritic on November 12, 2009 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,