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Too Hot to Handle?

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Heather as seen in the HFD Pipes and Drums Calendar. Click on the image to purchase now... $12 to support the HFD Pipes and Drums...and get this awesome photo!

Heather as seen in the HFD Pipes and Drums Calendar. Click on the image to purchase now... $12 to support the HFD Pipes and Drums...and get this awesome photo!

Dave Statter ran a story about a Houston Pipes and Drums Calendar that is causing an uproar. The story accompanied another story in Houston that is related sexist and racist remarks surrounding female firefighters. I covered some of that story in the past and will leave it up to Dave to hammer out. The links are here and here.

On the other hand, the deal with the Houston Pipes and Drums Calendar is right up my alley. Why you might ask? Well mostly because of the picture to the right. You might remember the Top Ten Female Firefighting Calendars post I ran a couple months ago. Yes, I am very proud to have taken the time to dissect such and important issue facing Firefighters across the Globe….And Yes, I am willing to be the talent scout if anyone needs me in the future.

Therefore I need to step in where Dave left off. I took it upon myself to hunt down Heather and speak with her. That was actually pretty easy, I have a friend who is friends with everyone…Joel? Did she actually speak with me you might ask? Of course she did via email. I just told sent her a picture of ruggedly handsome Justin Schorr myself and she bought it!

As I said, Heather graced the Fire Critic blog once before (see number 1). This morning, as I was sipping some coffee made just like FireGeezer said to prepare it, and I nearly lost all senses. There she was again…

Heather in all her glory has posed for a benefit calendar for the Houston Pipes and Drums. The calendar was created to raise money for their group. Buy the calendar you will not be disappointed. Mine should be in the mail soon as I ordered it online already (order yours here).

This is an example of an image in one of the Houston Firefighters Calendar. You can order your 2010 Houston Firefighter Calendars here.

This is an example of an image in one of the Houston Firefighters Calendar. You can order your 2010 Houston Firefighter Calendars here.

This brings me to the situation. SOME people are making a big to do about Heathers dress…or lack there of.

I must say, she looks stunning. Hell if I had a washboard stomach you would be looking at it right now.

Judging by Heather’s photo above and the one to the right could we be talking about a double standard?

Why is it that we cannot choose for ourselves what we want to look at and what we want to purchase. My guess is that these calendars will sell like hotcakes!

Heather offers the following on the situation:

I standby my decision and the fundraiser.  The Houston Pipe and Drum Team are an awesome group of dedicated fire fighters who unselfishly give their time, energy and effort to beautifully memorialize our fallen Brothers and Sisters across the US, many times paying for instruments, uniforms and travel from their own pockets.  They are a part of a long standing tradition in the fire department and one of the only ones we are allowed to still have and enjoy.  I was thrilled to be able to help and had no problems with the vision of the photographer and and the pictures taken. There were no department rules violated and the benefit is in no way affiliated with the city.  We all appreciate the support.

And may I add that I am damn proud to be a Houston Fire Fighter and would not change a thing about my near 15 years here.  I have and still work with some of the BEST!
I will add one note that none of the local news channels in Houston asked Heather’s side of the story prior to running the story on the nightly news.

In one article found here it states:

“It’s pretty indicative of your view of women,” said Joe Ahmad, the attorney for Draycott, Keyes and other female firefighters. “The problem with photos like this is they maintain the image of women who aren’t viewed in term of being competent at the workplace but merely as sexual objects.”

The Fire Critic says that as long as women inhabit the Earth they will be seen as sexual objects by men. That is just a fact…maybe not all men, but that is another story all together. The same way cougars flock to handsome half naked pictures of male firefighters in their own calendars and view them as sexual objects.

This does not mean that women cannot fight fire. This actually has nothing to do with it. Just because Heather has a fantastic body doesn’t mean that men will think she cannot fight fire. I actually think the opposite. Just by looking at Heather you can tell that she eats healthy, works out often, and take care of herself. Isn’t that what everyone is talking about now anyways…Healthy firefighters. So what gives of this double standard? I say forget about it.

In a response to scrutiny about the calendar, the HFD Pipes and Drums offered this:

I do not feel that the calendar is exploitative.  I do not believe that the calendar has “gone to far”.  This calendar was designed and produced by the same group that has produced many calendars, including the Houston Fire Fighter’s Calendar.  They produced the calendar at their own cost and will be donating the proceeds to the band.  Without the support of the community, the band would not be able to honor the careers and memories of the brave firefighters that have dedicated their lives to the service and protection of the citizens of Houston, and the greater Houston area.


Posted by firecritic on January 16, 2010 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: , , ,

Blog Tip – Monetizing your Fire/EMS Blog Part II

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Making Money on your Blog

Part II of Monetizing your Blog/web site will go over the numerous ways of making money on your blog. If you missed part I please review it here.

There are many ways of making money on your blog. I have detailed several below. You should note that there are plenty of other sources of making money on your blog other than listed here. These are the ones that I have found to be worth the time. Feel free to let me know in the comments of ways you make money and share with everyone! These are in no particular order.

  1. Donations
  2. Selling Ads
  3. Selling Text links
  4. Selling Merchandise
  5. Ad Networks
  6. Affiliate Marketing
  7. Product Reviews
  8. Sponsorship for events/podcasts/contests

1. Donations

This is not a very popular way of making money without actually offering a service, but it can work. I have never actually placed a donation link on any of my sites. In my experience, most of the donations that work are on sites which offer a service but don’t require payment or sites which offer a free product.

The hangup most people have with asking for donations is some people feel it is like begging.

The easiest way to set up for donations is to get a paypal account. Paypal offers buttons to put directly on your site for accepting donations.

Chronicles of EMS is a perfect example of making donations work!

I sell numerous advertising spots on VAFireNews.com

I sell numerous advertising spots on VAFireNews.com. Some rotating spots and others which show up on every impression. Click on the image to see how I do it on VAFireNews.com

2. Selling Ads

You don’t have to be a marketing genius to sell ads on your site. You do need to be somewhat of an effective salesperson! I have sold ads on VAFireNews.com for several years.

Here are some lessons I have learned for selling ads:

  • Stick with the accepted size ads [468x60, 160x600 or 120x600, 728x90, 300x250, 125x125]
  • Stick with rotating ads. You can share the wealth of a decent spot to more than one advertiser.
  • Use decent real estate. Don’t put your ads at the bottom of the page. You WANT people see the ads and click on them!
  • Start out cheap to get them on board.
  • Offer a free month or half price advertising.
  • Offer a discount if they pay for longer terms. Give a % discount if they pay a year in advance.
  • I recommend pre-payment for advertising.
  • Find out what your competitors or comparable sites are charging for advertising.
  • Prepare a media packet on the pricing and placement of ads.
  • Offer a phone number they can call. I use my cell phone number.
  • You can also use impression based sales. I have not gone to this. I have always stuck with a monthly rate.

3. Selling Text Links

Have you ever gotten an email about exchanging links? If you run a blog or web site then the answer is probably yes. Here is the deal. The company who contacted you sees a value in having a link to their site from yours. For whatever reason they want that link. Make them pay for a long period up front, otherwise they will forget or you will forget and they will get that link for free.

Text link advertisers like Text Link Ads (click on banner below) offer easy to use code that turn your keywords into links.

Click on the image to view the Fire Critic's Cafepress store

Click on the image to view the Fire Critic's Cafepress store

4. Selling Merchandise

The Fire Critic offers merchandise for sale. I admit that this is more of a marketing ploy than a money making venture. Cafepress or Zazzle offer decently priced merchandise for sale. Especially for people only ordering one item. The cost IS a little higher per item than ordering 200 shirts from the local screen printer.

FireGeezer has done a great job with the FireGeezer Mugs. However, I am not sure this was a money making venture. More of a marketing ploy I believe. He kept it simple and his readers love it!

If you were to create a Cafepress or Zazzle “store” I recommend the following:

  • Take the time to make high quality images for use on the merchandise
  • Take the time to customize the store
  • Order some of the merchandise before you publicize it to ensure quality assurance!
  • Don’t set the prices too high.

Sites like Lulu offer the ability to make books, calendars, ebooks, etc. as well.

View the Fire Critic’s Cafepress store here

5. Ad Networks (Contextual Advertising)

The use of ad networks like Google Adsense can be seen on almost every blog/web site you stumble upon. Originally (years ago), I had reservations of using this code because of the look of the link units. Once I came around I found ways of incorporating the code in a way that I was ok with. At its height I have made hundreds of dollars a month with ad networks. Google Adsense is probably the widest known ad network. PSClicks specializes in Public Safety websites.

psclicks as seen on VAFireNews.com. I also run this on FireCritic.com

psclicks as seen on VAFireNews.com. I also run this on FireCritic.com

Networks I would try:

Here are some tips:

  • Make sure you are following the rules. I think google limits you to 3 ad units per page.
  • Try different ad placements.
  • Review the performance on various placements and stick with what works.
  • The better the real estate the better the return on clicks.
  • Don’t forget to put these on your rss feeds too.

CPC vs. CPM

CPC – cost per click is when you get paid per each click through. Google Adsense is an example of CPC.

CPM – cost per mille is when you get paid per thousand impressions. Burst Media is an example of CPM.

amazon6. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is is an Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate’s marketing efforts [source]. You might be rewarded by cash or other merchandise. Examples of this that work well in the Fire/EMS niche is Amazon affiliates or Chief Supply. Most affiliate programs pay out once you reach a certain amount of credit. Since I wrote a book, I use the amazon affiliate program to sell the book (I get paid royalties for the book plus a commission of selling it if they click through my amazon affiliate link). If The Fire Store ever decided to do affiliate marketing I would be the first to use it. I should make money just off that tip alone….hint hint.

7. Product Reviews

Bloggers can actually make money on product reviews. I am not referring to getting free products as that is a bonus to doing reviews. Actually, businesses will pay bloggers for reviews. Before you jump up and down, I don’t know of any right off that I have seen done in the fire/EMS field…but I am sure it happens. And no, the Fire Critic does not get paid for reviews at the time of this writing (view my terms here).

You can also use sites like SponsoredReviews.com or PayPerPost.com to get leads on reviews.

@Firemom at Stop, Drop, and Blog offers product reviews. You can view her terms here.

8. Sponsorship of Events/Podcasts/Contests

Fire/EMS related companies are beginning to understand the effectiveness of advertising and marketing through blogs like this one. Bloggers/webmasters of sites like EMS Garage, EMSEducast, and The Bravest Online are capitalizing on this by having companies sponsor their podcasts and other events. Get on the wagon!

There will be plenty more written about making money on your blog. Look for the next installment soon.

How do you make money on your blog?

What have you used? What works and what doesn’t?

If you see something you want more information on let me know. If you don’t see something that should be here please let me know. I will be happy to include it in future blog tips!

Posted by firecritic on December 29, 2009 • Filed under: Blog Tips, Must Read, News • Tagged: , ,

Trust Me…this will never happen to you!

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mario trevino

Chief Mario Trevino. Photo from the City of Bellevue, WA web site

Attention all firefighters: the story below details a battle that will never happen to you. It might happen to someone you know, but I assure you it will not happen to you.

Recently, I wrote a post about a video and detailed how I felt the firefighters on scene were better taking their SCBA off than just carrying it around since they weren’t using it. Of course, I was being sarcastic. My point was not to take it off, but to use it. After all they are lugging it around right.

Please visit that post and review the comments. Then realize that this story below is why I wrote what I did.

The story is written by Chief Mario Trevino and is worth your time to read.  This is probably one of the top ten articles written this year!

Here is the story written by Chief Mario Trevino (in order to read it in its entirety please visit this link):

The story I’d like to share with you is deeply personal. It’s also harsh, perhaps even brutal; it’s meant to be. That is because I want anyone who reads it to know exactly what I went through so that, perhaps, they can take whatever steps they find possible to avoid a similar fate. Forewarned, as the saying goes, is forearmed.

Like too many cancer victims, I ignored the symptoms at first. From the beginning of the summer of 2008, I had an annoying, low-grade sore throat. After a few weeks, I realized it was not going to bloom into a cold or the flu. It just lingered. After a while, I started to think I may have had tonsillitis, as, unlike a lot of my peers, I still have my tonsils. What a pain it would be, I thought at the time, to go through surgery in the summertime. I’d heard that a tonsillectomy is a lot more complicated for adults than for children, so I went to work every day, simply ignoring the small pain in my throat and hoping it would just go away.

As the weeks passed, I started having trouble swallowing. I often had to try to swallow a mouthful of food several times before it would finally, grudgingly go down. While I thought it was a weird symptom, I continued to assume it had to do with my tonsils. “I’m going to have to see a doctor about this soon,” I thought. But the weeks passed and I stayed busy and continued to think I would just go back to normal soon. Read the rest of the story

Thanks to FirefighterCloseCalls.com/The Secret List for the heads up on this article.

Posted by firecritic on December 8, 2009 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, Must Read, News • Tagged: , , ,

Your Unofficial Guide to “The Project”

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If you haven’t heard, The Happy Medic and Medic 999 are embarking on an educational on-the-job meet up. Justin Schorr, whose name I knew before it was cool to know his name, will be having Mark Glencorse over for eight days in San Francisco. The San Francisco Fire Department being the place of Justin (The Happy Medic) Schorr’s employment. Following those eight days, Mark will go swim home and  Justin will head to England a couple of days later to have tea and crumpets and a ride along with Mark. The North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust being the place of Mark’s employment.

USA-UK-BADGE-300x189Follow down to the bottom of the post for important terms, how to follow, and where to follow regarding the project!

This whole “Project” came about after a “courting” period between the two bloggers. They often discussed clinical applications of pre-hospital emergency care. Justin being a Firefighter/Paramedic on an engine and Mark a Medic in a car for the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Through comments on each others blogs, email, and phone calls they hatched The Project. Originally, the BBC was going to follow along and film The Project but they pulled the plug in negotiations with Mark’s employer.

Now, Ted Setla (@Setla)is working on filming of The Project (at least State-side).Link

The Project is a unique endeavor planned and executed by the two. The promoting,discussing, and marketing has been a free for all by many top names in the EMS industry! The Project has been dissected, boasted, envied, and examined by many through twitter, facebook, and blogs.

Justin and Mark promise blogging, tweeting, videos, emails, carrier pigeons, smoke signals, and messages in bottles to get their project out to the masses as it happens!

Many industry professionals (EMS, Medics, PIO’s, Social Marketers, Fire, etc.) are watching and maybe even holding their breathe a little to see what will become of this.

On the heels of a very successful twitter/blogging/video social media marketed EMS Expo, many are wondering what is next…We will just have to wait and see.

If you would like to follow along, keep an eye on the links below throughout the next 3 weeks and beyond!

Important terms

  • Justin Schorr = The Happy Medic, Happy Medic, HM. Located in San Francisco.
  • HMHQ = Happy Medic HeadQuarters aka Justin’s house.
  • Mark Glencorse = 999 Medic, Medic 999, That English Guy. Located in NewCastle. (I always wanted to live in a brewery!)
  • The hashtags for The Project on Twitter are #911999 (the project) and #CoEMS (chronicles of EMS)

Follow along with The Happy Medic and Medic 999

In the news and about The Project

Follow the Chronicles of EMS

Can someone please translate this into English for Mark?

Justin…enjoy the boo-doo siren and blue lights! I hope your tall lanky A@# fits in that little car!

Posted by firecritic on November 7, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

RSS Feed is Live at our Facebook Page

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If you are reading this on facebook. You can click on the link on the left sidebar to go to FireCritic.com. Or you can click on the story and on the bottom you will see “view original post” and it will take it to the original post on FireCritic.com.

This took some finessing, but I think that I have figured it out.

The Fire Critic rss feed is live at our facebook page. However, it should be noted that the feed only posts a small amount of text on the facebook page. That is concurrent with our rss feed details, although it may be changed to the full post in the future.

Also, you should note that our facebook page will only be posting the feed of posts under the “must-read” category. The reason I created this new category is because facebook does not import videos. I will be monitoring the success of the pages rss feed to determine any necessary changes.

If you need help setting up the rss feed on your facebook business page look here. Be sure to read the comments. If you still can’t get it I will be happy to help.

The Fire Critic Facebook page is doing pretty well. We are already up to 186 friends and growing. I am very happy with the success of the Fire Critic and it only means one thing…you guys like what you are reading!

Join our Facebook page here
You can sign up for email updates from our RSS feed by signing up in on the sidebar —>
You can sign up for our RSS feed through a feed reader here

Posted by firecritic on September 23, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: , ,

Making Money on your Blog

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As I mentioned before, I am working on getting everything together to enable other bloggers the ability to make money on their blog. We might not be talking about early retirement, but enough of an income to pay for the site and possibly invest in software, hardware, etc. for the betterment of the blog.

At this time I am asking for your ideas on how you make money on your blog. If it is google adsense, then leave a comment. If you have other ways, let us know. If you don’t make any money but want to, then stay tuned for the post coming in the near future. You aren’t actually waiting on me, you are waiting on one more product that might revolutionize Fire/EMS websites and blogs as far as monetizing them. So bear with me…I think.

If  you know of ideas, let me know. I might not know of them. Affiliate sites, click through advertising, selling space on your site. You name it I am interested. Especially companies offering this ability! Contact me!

Posted by firecritic on September 21, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: ,

Blog Tip – Why Fire/EMS Bloggers Should Sign up for Twitter

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In today’s blog tip, I would like to explain why Fire/EMS Bloggers should at least sign up for Twitter.

First of all, you can read other posts where I discuss twitter or tag twitter here.

So here it goes…

  • You should sign up for twitter so that someone else doesn’t sign up using your namesake.
  • You will be amazed at what traffic you receive by using twitter as an RSS syndication platform. That basically means using twitter to automatically post your post title and url (link to your post) on twitter for others to click on.
  • All you have to do to make this happen is use a client (free) like twitterfeed. Sign up and fill out the necessary information on your blog (including your twitter account and your RSS feed).
  • Then you can check out this list of 100+ awesome Fire/EMS Twitter users and add some of them to your twitter friends.
  • After that, you can sit back and watch traffic come from Twitter.
  • Your posts will be automatically be added to Twitter via Twitterfeed and you don’t have to do anything.
  • If others like your post, they might reply to it.
  • If they reply to it (@reply) your joint friends will see the tweet and may reply and/or click on it too. Replies explained here.
  • If they RT then their followers will see it and they might not be followers of yours. It is a pyramid!
  • One other useful tip is to join wefollow. This client (free) will enable your Twitter account to show up on lists related to your topics.
  • On wefollow, pick certain keywords like #Firefighter, #Firefighting, #Fire, #Paramedic, #EMS, #EMT or whatever your fancy.

If you have questions on this please let me know. I love helping out fellow fire/ems bloggers!

Posted by firecritic on September 20, 2009 • Filed under: Blog Tips, Must Read, News • Tagged: , , ,

A little Experiment of Twitter Users with Blogs

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This is kind of a random post. I posted a question on my twitter account @FireCritic asking about how many had blogs. I know of some, but I cannot keep track of all of them.

Think of this as a little experiment. I simply posted on twitter that I was looking for anyone who had a blog to respond. They didn’t have to be my friends on twitter, but they wouldn’t find out unless they had a friend who RT’d the tweet.

Here are the ones who replied. The following are the blog links with their twitter account following.

Again, this was kind of an experiment. Feel free to add your blog/twitter account to the comments and be sure to follow me at @FireCritic!

Posted by firecritic on September 18, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: ,

Blog Owners – Do you Monetize your Blog?

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Here is a question for bloggers everywhere (not just fire/EMS blog). Do you monetize your blog? If so, what do you use?

I am working on a post for the near future that will explain some of the best ways for Fire/EMS Service blogs to monetize their blogs.

I know of several ways we can do it, but I am not going to spoil now. If you absolutely cannot wait, email me or use the contact form and I can help you out.

Otherwise, please let me know the following:

  • Do you monetize your blog?
  • Would you like to make some money on your blog?
  • Is the only reason you started your blog was to make money?
  • Would you be interested in finding out more about the possibilities?

Let me know in comments or by contact us page (on menu bar) or via email firecritic@firecriticdotcom.

Posted by firecritic on September 18, 2009 • Filed under: Blog Tips, Must Read, News • Tagged:

New links added to the Links Page

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I have added some new links to the link page you can check it out here.

I have many more to add, but the quickest way to be added to the list is to contact me directly. Either by way of my contact page “contact us” on the menu bar or email me at firecritic@firecriticdotcom.

Enjoy

Posted by firecritic on September 18, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: ,

Facebook Page Created for The Fire Critic

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Ok, I admit that I goofed. Here I spout out social media and marketing tips and tools and I didn’t even get it right.

I learned a long time ago that it is ok to admit you are wrong.

I have corrected my mistake in making a Facebook page instead of the Facebook group that I had created a couple months ago.

Therefore, please come over and join the Fire Critic on Facebook at our new spot. Stop in and say hello while you are there! Post a link or whatever the hell else you would like to do on there!

Link to page here

Posted by firecritic on September 16, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: , ,

PIO Marketing and Social Media

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I have been hitting on a lot of social media topics recently. I love finding PIO’s who are doing it right. Maybe the Godfather of PIO and Social Media is somebody like Brian Humphrey of LAFD, then again that title probably goes to the first Firefighter/EMT who decided that their department needed a website.

Websites are great…for normal information. The utilization of social media, a content management system and RSS Feeds (think blog) are another.

PIO’s who decide to take it to the next level are doing their jobs. PIO’s who neglect social networking, don’t understand it, or have said “to hell with that” are NOT doing their jobs. Chiefs and City Administrators who will not allow it, don’t understand it, or think it will not benefit the department should get out of the way!

I found another City who has welcomed social networking and has done a great job with it. Mark Basnight and Rob Brisley run the CFD News & Information Blog for the City of Charlotte Fire Department in North Carolina.

They utilize the following social media (all links are to their content) :

The also utilize a great tool with offering translation of their website to a handful of languages. In addition they run concurrent RSS feeds on their site offering news related to them and the City of Charlotte.

This is a great example of making Public Information easy, Worldwide, accessible, and fun.

You might ask why have tap into so many different social marketing variants. The answer is easy. As more and more social networking platforms arise, different people chose different ones to use. That doesn’t mean that you have to use everyone. However, it might be a good idea to at least obtain your namesake in each one so that someone else doesn’t come along and grab it up.

With social networking, the cream always rises to the top. For instance, I once utilized Myspace as a social networking tool. Once Facebook was unleashed to the masses (it was developed and solely used by colleges and universities in the beginning) I made the switch to Facebook. Why you might ask? Because I feel as though Facebook is more professional, more secure, and better suited for social networking. I no longer use MySpace.

In the near future I will be getting more into social networking for the Fire Service. I am not so sure I will be competition for these guys, but I will be in the realm. You will also find out who has been hiding behind the name “Fire Critic” if you don’t already know.

As for the Charlotte Fire Department’s marketing strategies, I commend them for making full use of what is available to them. You want to know what it would cost to put up a site like theirs….nothing. You heard me right. If you were to do it yourself, outside of the man hours will will take to put it all together, it would cost nothing. Blogger allows you a free blog, the social networking sites used are free, the whole thing is free!

FC note: I have not spoken with the CFD, but by all appearances I believe that if you were to make a site just like that one and had the no-how to do it it wouldn’t cost anything but time. CFD – please correct me if I am wrong.

Damn, now don’t you wish you had started one earlier?

If you would like assistance getting started, please let me know. Also, you might check out some of my other posts on the subject.

One other note… If this makes it to the Charlotte Fire Department Chief, you should know that your guys are doing one hell of a job! Step raises for all of them…ok maybe not, but they are doing great. Other departments should be looking up to yours in an effort to make theirs better!

…and for you other readers; just so you don’t think my department is better than yours. I have pitched several ideas for our department to utilize social networking. They didn’t do it, they don’t have a clue, and we are behind the times.

more to come on social networking….in the future

Posted by firecritic on September 15, 2009 • Filed under: Blog Tips, Must Read, News • Tagged: , , , , ,

Top 100+ Fire/EMS Twitter Users – Are you included?

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firecritic156twitterI have compiled a list of twitter users that I feel are the top 100. I realize that this list may change in the future with the addition of new users. Some time in the future I might revisit the list. Until then, enjoy the list. I will tell you that the list was based on the following criteria…had followers and tweeted about fire/ems news, information, and topics. I apologize but I did not incorporate twitter users who tweeted about going to and from the grocery store no matter how many followers they had.

Be sure to follow me by the way…@FireCritic

Feel free to add your username in the comments! Here is a word to the wise…join wefollow and sign up with tags that relate to yourself. Examples = #Fire, #Firefighter, #Firefighting, #Paramedic, #EMS, #EMT.

The list is not in any particular order and in case you are counting I think the actual number is 112.

@Emergency_In_SF – Follow some of the larger emergencies in San Francisco as they happen!

@LATimesFires – Breaking SoCal fire updates from @latimes + @lanow. Send us your tips. See latimes.com/tweets for 180+ news streams. @latimesquakes tracks seismic news/alerts.

@usfire - Official Twitter account of FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration – Working for a Fire-Safe America.

@CalFireNews – California Fire Information

@FireMom – Writing about the family side of fire life. Freelance writer, editor & social networking addict.

@Chiefsupply – Proudly serving Law Enforcement, U.S. Military, Fire and EMS services nationwide. CHIEF is More Responsive, Period.

@IowaDispatches - ALL REPORTS CONSIDERED PRELIMINARY. Police & fire audio archive of incidents from all over Iowa

@NorthwestFire - A full-spectrum life safety agency protecting Marana and Pima County

@RES911CUE - Bringing you the latest news/weather/fire from around the world & country using over 1000 news sources

@FireInfoGirl -  wildland fire news and information

@FirehouseNews – The latest news for firefighters from Firehouse.com

@socalincidents - http://www.socalincidents.com/

@wildfiretoday – wildland firefighting news and opinion

@Firewise - NFPA supports community wildfire mitigation in the U.S. Follow me for updates on the Firewise program.

@BryanFD – Providing the citizens of Bryan with fire protection and advanced medical care. Est. 1871

@FiremanJoe – Volunteer FF,Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Temp Ops Manager

@NFPAFireStats – I am a Research Analyst at NFPA and provide information and statistics about the U.S. fire problem in order to reduce the loss of life and property.

@TexasFiredotcom – Texas-Fire.com news feed

@FireNews - News and Information for North Carolina’s Fire Service

@WIA – We break the news to the Media!

@fire_fighter – Dad- Husband – Firefighter – Engineer – from Germany

@FirefightersWB - Fire fighters without Borders Foundation Europe

@FireGeezer – retired fire captain – active blogger

@CoronadoNF_Fire - This is the official site of fire information for the Coronado National Forest.

@TheHappyMedic – HMHQ is my blog about the real stories of Fire/EMS

@explovent – Explosion, fire and smoke vents protecting your property and workers. Aggregating #comdust news, videos and more at our site Explovent.com and ComDustNews.com

@FossilMedic – university professor, retired fire captain/paramedic

@FHLODD – Firefighter line of duty deaths from Firehouse.com news.

@Jeffpfile – Small business owner, entrepreneur and wine aficionado with ties to NIMO and the wildland fire community. Looking forward to where life takes me.

@FHTraining – Firehouse.com Train

@NCFDChief - Fire Chief of the North Charleston Fire Department.

@emergencyland – Emergencyland is a central collaborative one-stop-shop where emergency personnel and the public can share, learn and exchange information. Coming soon.

@FireCritic - An Unadulterated view of the fire service

@SBVFD – The Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department has been serving the Greenwich community since 1904 with fire protection and technical rescue services.

@barbadosfire – The official Twitter feed for the Barbados Fire Service.

@911EmergencyMA – FIRE EMS

@firechiefmag – http://www.firechief.com/

@bajanfire - The official twitter feed for the Bajan Fire Fighters Network.

@FireFleitz - Firefighter / Web Publisher / Internet Marketing / Fire Service Henchman / Run VAFireNews.com, VAEMSNews.com, PrinstonMedia.com

@truck6alpha – Emergency Services Visionary

@FireBlogger - Retired Fire Capt., Editor of Firefighter Blog, Follow/Report Wildland Fire News, Online Marketer, Conservative Voter!

@firenation – The Professional & Social Network for Firefighters & Rescue, and Home to FireRescue Magazine

@revcrutchfield – Fire Department Chaplain, Founder of www.christ4responders.org, Chaplain to all First Responders and Miltary. Follows Homeland Security, Public Policy etc.

@FatherCabbage – Married GrandPa Retired Firefighter(Fire is out but I’m still Smokin) Security Guard

@JillatLiveSafe - Fire Protection Professional: Safety, Awareness & Advocacy. Building Partners in Prevention. Value Faith, Family & Friends.

@ffhourly – Firefighter Hourly covers firefighters, fire, and fire departments from around the world. We support and report on the bravest!

@NFFF_News – The official Twitter page of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, honoring America’s fallen firefighters and providing support for their survivors

@rakeman – Big fan of firefighting, Heavy Rescue and the internet!

@EGH_Program – EGH® is a national program by the NFFF to prevent firefighter line-of-duty deaths. We also offer fire safety tips for families. Official page.

@Paramedic_Daily

@fire_products – FireRescue1’s product news: deals, grants updates, new products, safety info, videos, and more

@nemofightsfire – husband, father, firefighter, pio, emt, fire prevention!!! wearer of many hats– interested in fire & life safety, homeland security, friends & family..

@usfraorg – PUBLIC SAFETY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH TRAINING, TACTICS & EDUCATION … Fire-Rescue, 911, Police, Military and Civilian Support Teams.

@searchrescuedog – Strengthening disaster response in America by recruiting rescued dogs & partnering them with firefighters to find people buried in the wreckage of disasters

@firemenscu – LAFCU is the trusted provider of premier financial services to our ‘Fire Family’.

@TTraining – Experience-Based Firefighter Training

@vententersearch – The lost art of the fire service

@gfdpipesdrums – Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums

@JerseyMutt – Daddy, Air Force comm troop, volunteer firefighter

@Napa_City_Fire – All releases are a courtesy and may not be all inclusive or timely.

@Getfirefighjobs – Firefighter jobs, careers and community site.

@CommandSafety – Veteran Fire Officer, mentor, author, instructor, visionary; Chief of Training Command Institute, DC

@MikeSuperMedic – I’m Paramedic Mike. Come ride along as my partner and I save lives. WE LOVE OUR JOB. Oh BTW this is mostly fake thanks to HIPAA.

@EMS_United - EMS United is a place for emergency medical services (EMS) professionals to connect!

@EMS1 - The premier First Responder, EMT and Paramedic resource to find relevant ambulance news, identify key EMS training information, interact with each other.

@jemsconnect - JEMS is the source for Emergency Medical Services professionals

@EMSNews – Updates on Emergency Medical Services, Ambulance, Paramedic news pulled from multiple sources. Mostly automated, mostly works. Direct questions etc @dengerin

@EMSRNews - EMSResponder News

@emssafe

@geekymedic – Paramedic Geek..Need I say More

@Medicbuzz - I’m a Paramedic and Nurse involved in disaster planning and response. Member US National Disaster Medical System w/ the NJ1-DMAT. Philadelphia U. Grad Student

@EMSRTraining

@PedroParamedic - Big City Paramedic with a weakness for big dogs, fast bikes and blond waitresses

@gfriese – Greg creates elearning for emergency responders at eps411.com. Author, presenter, photographer, and paramedic. Runner, cyclist, outdoor enthusiast

@medatrain – Online Community First Responder Forum as well as providing everything a First Responder needs to perform their duties

@thebigredguide – The new fire industry website covering products, companies, news and events

@STATter911 – Fire and EMS news from a TV reporter and former firefighter

@LiveFireFeeds - LiveFireFeeds.com, never miss a second!

@NationalFire - Wildland Fire Fighting Equipment

@NWSAFire – Executive Director of the National Wildfire Suppression Assn.

@FireDaily - Your portal to the current issues, events, and wisdom of our fellow Brothers and Sisters in the greatest of all professions.

@HoopieWorld – Western Pennsylvania Fire News Blog and Information

@AerialFirefight – UK based Tangent Link organise technical conferences for the Aerial Firefighting Community. There are other related products in the pipeline. Watch this space!

@helmetdude – Husband, Dad, Fire Fighter, Hero, Jackass not necessarily in that order.

@BrianHumphrey – Crisis communications consultant to government and industry, when not serving as an LAFD Spokesman.

@firelinkcom – Fire & Rescue Community, Firefighter, Fireguru, Fire Photos, Fire Video, Firefighter Social Network

@MsParamedic – Paramedic. Musician. Cattle Farmer. Body Combat enthusiast.

@FiremanRich - ARFF Fire Fighter….Tweet on Twitter & Have Fun! : )

@FirePrevention – 11-year paramedic veteran that believes fire departments should do more to promote Fire Prevention Week. Go ahead and tweet yourself.

@firejobs – Find job openings for Firefighters, EMTs, EMS and Paramedics all over the US at Firejobs.com. 338 positions were updated in the last 30 days.

@firetactics - Today’s Plan is Tomorrow’s Action

@FOOLS_Intl – Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society–an international firefighter organization promoting training, traditions and brotherhood of the fire service

@TheBravest - theBravest.com twitters FDNY New York City Fire Department Live Fire Radio Scanner

@HoustonFireDept – Houston FD CAD. Will display all major accidents, rescues, structure fires, and any call requiring 3+ units. Run by @paulvx and @ghawi (non-official)

@TinaFightsFire – I am a wife to 1, mom to 3, friend to several, have a passion for the fire service. I promote & teach fire/life safety! :)

@PhillyFireNews

@PGFDPIO – One of the largest and busiest combination Fire/EMS Departments in the Country.

@FireGround – Its only a disaster if you are not prepared

@firefighterspot - Home of the Best Firefighting Video

@TheSecretList – Dedicated to Firefighter Safety www.firefighterclosecalls.com

@FireRescue1 - The fastest-growing website for firefighters, bringing you the latest fire news, expert columns, fire video, fire-EMS, training and product info

@FFBehavior

@DispatchDemon – Emergency Medical Dispatcher and Scanner Freek.

@Inspector911 – We have resources for inspectors on ICC, NFPA, or just inspectors in general, check us out at www.inspector911.com

@apollosfyre – Scanning most of Central Calif

@BigWhiteFireDog – Fight Fires. Co-own a website design co. Raise/Rescue Great Pyrenees Dogs. Love Celtic Music, Good Food, Calif Wines, Micro Brews, My Wife of 25 yrs & my sons.

@SanAntonioFire – San Antonio Fire Department will tweet all major accidents, rescues, structure fires, and any call requiring 3+ units. *Run by @paulvx and @ghawi (non official)

@campusfirewatch - Working to improve fire safety at schools and in the community. Organizer of National Campus Fire Safety Month 2009.

@DougMummert – Public Safety/Public Relations/Community Service

SPVFire – Official Twitter of the Spring Valley VFD, a 501c3 Non-Profit

@LCIMT - The Low Country All Hazards Type 3 Incident Mgmt Team consist of members from all the disciplines in Public Safety. The team covers 14 counties in SC.

@firecamp – As a non-profit wildland firefighter school, Colorado Firecamp serves as drop point #1 for many S-130/190 students getting started in wildland fire.

@LAFD – A full-spectrum life safety agency protecting the City of Los Angeles. To report an emergency, call 9-1-1.

@LAFDTalk – @LAFDtalk is for discussing or querying the Los Angeles Fire Department. For incident alerts follow @LAFD. To report an emergency, call 9-1-1.

@kriskaull - Husband of 1. Dad of 2. Paramedic, technology expert, public speaker. Bozeman outdoor enthusiast. Beer fan. Consummate BUZZ architect. Considering job as ninja.

@EPI_Junky - Mom, EMT, permanent student.

@rescue_monkey – Firefighter/Paramedic; Ham Operator KI4QNB; Hazmat Nut; Aviation enthusiast (Private Pilot Lic. is next on list); Photography

@everydayemstips – Tips, resources, study guides, ebooks for students, EMTs, Paramedics, and Managers

@EMSEduCast – A poscast by and for EMS Educators

@PIOSMTraining

@inquarters14 – Emergency Response Team volunteer, Animal Rescue – I follow News, Fires, First Responders, Anipals, Pilots, L.A. Lakers & maybe you!

@scannerdude - ham radio operator,scanner buff and student of life.

@olorinpc - Geek, Firefighter, blogger, JC Alumni

@ABCOfire - Your ONE source provider in Fire Protection. Follow ABCO Team: @stevesmith1, @Heather04Ann, @MaryeKraft, @TerriPaoletta and Partners @JillatLiveSafe, @NIFAST

@Heather04Ann - Fire Fighters Daughter, Fire Protection Fanatic, Love Walking/Running, Additiced to Tanning, Nascar =LIFE.

@ENeitzel - I am a National PIO, Involved with Fire & Aviation Management. Incident Social Media (ISM) Zealot and a supporter of the 4th Estate.

and yes this list took a pretty long time to compile!!!

Posted by firecritic on September 14, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: ,

Blogging Tip – Name your Images for SEO

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I am starting a new column here at the Fire Critic! This one is titled “Blogging Tip” however the tips can be used for webmasters too. With the increasing use of Content Management Systems (CMS) and RSS Feeds (Really Simple Syndication) it seems as though the differentiation between blogs and websites has been blurred. This is not a problem and actually shows that more and more people are taking advantage of the interfaces that blogs were created with.

Today’s blogging tip – Naming your images to increase SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Let us say you have an image of a house fire with smoke showing in Albuquerque, New Mexico (for example). Lets say that the image in its raw form is named 0023.jpg. If you upload that image, the image will always be named 0023.jpg. People will see that image when looking at your blog, but not many will get to it if they are searching for images with the search term “house fire in Albuquerque, New Mexico”.

If you rename image 0023.jpg to “house fire in Albuquerque, New Mexico” then when people search for “house fire in Albuquerque, New Mexico” they will come to your image click on it and are brought to your site. This increases traffic!

To take this one step further you should actually name it “house-fire-in-albuquerque-new-mexico”. The dashes in between the words make it more friendly to web crawlers. The use of lower case apparently does too. Some interfaces, like the Wordpress that I use does it for you automatically.

Let me know if you have any questions on making your website easier to use and increasing traffic!

The Fire Critic

Posted by firecritic on September 12, 2009 • Filed under: Blog Tips, Must Read, News • Tagged: , , , , ,

Top Ten Firehouse Pranks

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These are the top ten firefighter pranks as found on the internet. Mostly, I used Youtube to search for funny pranks.

Many of these pranks I have either been a victim of or been part of pulling it off.

One thing is for sure, we can do a lot better. I know that for a fact. We just have to get them on video.

Feel free to send in your videos (or links to videos) that you think are funny.

10. Come have a look in this box - Great prank, great reaction!

9. Alternative K12 start-up – If you are able to prank people with this kind of trick it is there own fault! Watch him bite it at the end!

8. Wiping down the apparatus with the rookie – Great prank. You could pull this on anyone as long as you timed it right when they walked by the apparatus!

7. Teaching the rookie how to ride tailboard - This is classic! How they got this niave firefighter to fall for this is beyond me. Then again when you are a rookie you will listen to just about anyone!

6. Drop this quarter off your forehead into the funnel - I have to admit, this is the first prank I was a victim of. The guys at the vollie FD I started with got me and another rookie with this one. Although my brothers added another twist…they put pencil on the edge of the quarter so we had lines going all down our faces!

5. The broken chair prank – This is probably the best done video of all of them. Great job guys. They were able to prank half the department it seems.

4. Pulling a Fast One on the Captain - Funny prank! They got him good! Water and flour…nothing better!

3. Fun with the power company lineman – This is a great prank. It is done by firefighters to a guy who is a lineman on the power company. Apparently he had it coming to him for 10 years. Talk about a grudge!

2. Fake snake while out for some PT – I remember this from a while back. It was funny then and it is funny now. Hilarious reaction!

Also tied for #2 is another fake snake prank - The reaction on this one is even better than the previous!

1. Firefighter scared of cockroach – This video is kind of funny in the beginning, but it gets hilarious at the end. Watch a big bad firefighter become a little girl in a matter of seconds. Kudos too on the video editing!

Posted by firecritic on September 6, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

Top Ten Considerations on Which Department to Work For

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fctoptenToday, I offer you the top ten considerations on which department to work for.

When young bucks go looking for a job, they mostly consider pay, how many fires, and location. These are great places to start when considering departments, but they aren’t neccesarily the most important. There are many more considerations. Some that you might not think about when looking around right out of college or maybe even high school.

I remember when I was looking for a job. I didn’t think about many of these. I knew the salaries varied, and I knew a lot about the departments I lived near. Naturally, I was hired by a department 3 hours away. I had to change my whole life around, but I was very happy when I got on the job and enjoyed working for the department.

Who would have thought that 10 years in I would be realizing that there are huge issues with my choice. Ones that could be detrimental to my future. From what I have learned, there is a lot more to being a firefighter than just fighting fire. The need to ensure you can make a smooth and affordable transition into retirement is paramount. In order to provide the best opportunities for yourself be sure to do your homework on the following:

10. Recruit School and Training

A unified recruit school that teaches FFI, FFII, Hazmat Ops, EMT, EVOC, HTR modules, Policies, SOP’s, and other training is imperative in ensuring firefighters are starting off on the right foot. Whether or not you have had some or all of the training before, it provides a base level for everyone to start from. Yourself, your peers, your company officers, and others will have a keen understanding of your capabilities once you graduate recruit school. Another thing to take into consideration here is future training opportunities, on duty training, and specialized training disciplines (swift water rescue, heavy technical rescue, extrication) for the future.

9. Salary

This is probably the biggest comparison value that firefighters make between one department and another. There is merit to this analysis, however some departments make up with other benefits where they lack in salaries. Don’t get tunnel vision though. Keep reading!

8. Median Age of Employees

You might ask why this is important. This little detail can tell a lot about a department. First of all, if the age is high it might indicate that there will be a lot of retirements coming up. This will provide opportunity to move up the food chain. However, it may also indicate that the firefighters have to work longer to have a decent retirement. On the other hand, if the department is real young this may indicate that ranking officers will keep promotions to a minimum for a long time. The advantage might be that you will be able to retire earlier with a decent retirement and pension. Find out the facts.

7. Department history on Layoffs

Wouldn’t is suck to get hired on with a department you like and a job you love only to get laid off? Layoffs have not been very popular or common in U.S. fire departments, but we are seeing an increase in occurance. Simply find out if it has ever happened, why it happened, and ask around on the chances of it happening again. Most departments utilize attrition (they don’t rehire for a position once someone retires) when they are downsizing instead of laying employees off.

6. City Paid Benefits

Benefits include pension, health insurance, college tuition, disability, supplemental retirement, supplemental insurance, life insurance, child care, among other things. How much is your City/County/Locality currently paying for these benefits? With the current economy has the locality cut funding to any of these.

5. Staffing, Stations, Apparatus

is the minimum staffing on various apparatus? Anything less than 3 on an engine or ladder I would be hesitant to apply to. Does the department have numerous vacancies? Do they simply mark apparatus out of service due to manpower deficiencies or do they pay overtime? Do they have enough stations to cover the locality? Is their apparatus fleet falling apart or are they proactive in replacing aging apparatus?

4. Contracts/Union/Arbitration

Localities and employees who work under a contract have certain benefits. Contracts define schedules, pay, benefits, grievances, staffing, among many other things. Contracts are not a cure all, but they usually define benefits that non-contract firefighters may not enjoy. The majority of Union firefighters in the U.S. are members of a chapter (Local) of the International Association of Fire Fighters. The Local chapters might also be a part of a State organization. The IAFF offers assistance in all aspects of firefighting for their members, State associations, and Local chapters. There are also some firefighters who are members of other Unions.

3. Health Insurance

Food, water, clothing, shelter, health insurance. There are a few things that I must provide to my family. Health insurance premiums have gone through the roof recently. One huge benefit offered to some firefighters is free health insurance for retirees. While this option may not be available to all, it is certainly something I wish I had. Many departments are on the other end of the spectrum actually raising premiums on retirees along with current employees. This is one of those benefits that would offset a lower starting salary! Make sure the department you are seeking employment with offers AFFORDABLE health care.

2. Disability Retirement

Some of you may be asking yourself why in the world disability retirement is on this list, least of all number 2. I will tell you, because many firefighters do not have a decent disability retirement policy. Let me ask you this. If you are hurt in the line of duty, to the point that you cannot be a firefighter anymore, don’t you feel that you should be given a disability retirement? Meaning not having to work and awarded a decent retirement for giving yourself for your locality, for your profession, for the people you are protecting. I don’t think that is asking too much. However, we have firefighters out there who are forced to work other jobs within their municipality that they didn’t sign up for instead of getting a fair shake for their disability. Make sure you fully understand what will happen to you if you end up disabled while on duty!

1. Retirement/Pension

I don’t know about you, but I DO NOT want to work my entire life. While we may not make 6 digits and work in the private sector, we do get to enjoy the benefits of a pension. Most pensions are paid for 100% by the locality. However, recently public pension systems are under attack. The Defined Benefit vs. Defined Contribution Pension debate has heated up and could be detrimental to your ability to retire as you would like. Make sure you fully understand what you will get when you retire.

Other points on Retirement include:

  • What percentage of pay will you get when you retire?
  • How do they figure your retirement?
  • How many years will you have to work for a full retirement?
  • Some will get a set percentage of the last 3 years of work at a certain year. Example – 60% at 30 years of service.
  • Some will have a multiplier like 2.5% per year of work. Example – 30 years of work = 75% of the average of your last 3 years of service.
  • Most will have a cap on the percentage making any increase past your max. % being any difference in pay due to your increase over the past 3 years of service.
  • Yet some firefighters walk away with 100% of their average over their last 3 years of service at a set years of service.

So there you have it. All you snotty nosed 21 year olds who are ready to show all those “old timers” how you are Gods Gift to the Fire Service, make sure you are seeking employment with a decent locality! Salaries aren’t everything. You have to have a total package when it comes to employment!

Some other things to consider that didn’t make the top ten list are (in no particular order):

  • Vacation and holiday time
  • supplemental retirement (usually mostly employee paid with some employer match contributions)
  • Level of fire calls…there I said it. We have all been there…Now I am happy with some sleep and a ham sandwich.
  • What level of EMS certification will you be required to maintain? Some are forced to be ALS.
  • Policies and procedures – does your department make the grade?
  • Who is the Fire Chief, Fire Commissioner, and Local Administrator? Are they good guys or bad guys? Do they like firefighters?

I am sure there are other considerations that I didn’t think of. What do you think?

Posted by firecritic on August 27, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: , , , , ,

Top Ten Female Firefighter Calendars

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In this Top Ten list, we will be looking at the best of Female Firefighter Calendars. Be forwarned that not all of these calendars boast female firefighters. Some are just sexy women modeling as firefighters, others are firefighter calendars which have a couple women in them. Don’t worry, there are plenty of women out there looking for hunky, sexy firemen too. I have only incorporated calendars that at least have 1 woman in them though. For all you women out there wondering what the best male firemen calendars are you will have to really put pressure on for me to do the research. I am not above it though, I just need some coaxing to do it.

Here it goes…the top ten female firefighter calendars! Keep in mind, the best is at the bottom!!!

Too Hot To Handle Calendar

Too Hot To Handle Calendar

10. Too Hot To Handle Female Firefighter Calendar. The Too Hot To Handle Calendar can be purchased here. Unfortunately, I could not find much more information on the calendar than what is offered on Zebra Publishing’s website here. The website states “It doesn’t get much hotter than this! Although they’re well-equipped to manage the flames, this firefighting shift generates their own red-hot heat. The models in Too Hot To Handle 2010 will cause spontaneous combustion all year. Photographed by Glenn Grainger, images are featured in an oversized 12″ x 24″ poster sized format.”

I will interject that I have no clue if the models are firefighters or not. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they are models! Just kidding. You can view the front cover, back cover, and center spread on the link above. It is safe for work, but don’t quote me on that.

WSCFF Burn Foundation Firefighter Calendar

WSCFF Calendar

9. WSCFF Burn Foundation Firefighters Calendar. The WSCFF, Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, produce a calendar of female and male firefighters.  In 1996 we began to produce a calendar. That year it was merely a poster. It was a huge success and the following year we produced a full sized wall calendar featuring Washington State fire fighters. Our goal was to have it be tasteful, with just enough sex appeal to garner the attention of the consumers. Unlike other calendars featuring males, we did not portray our subjects in unbelievable situations, but rather displayed a representative array of real fire fighters. One local newspaper referred to it as “more like a Happy Meal than a platter of beefcake”.

The calendar has male firefighters in it too. However, the females are definitely worth a look. As you can see in the photo to the right, the production is professional and not overly sexified! That can be good and can be bad too. The website offers bio’s of each model. (link to their website here)

8. Essence of Fire Female Firefighters Calendar. I must admit that this calendar might be higher on the list if they hadn’t disabled saving a photo, or even offered decent photos on the site for me to get in other ways (print screen). The calendar is all female. The website states: An individual committed to showing everyone that all women can be successful in achieving and accomplishing whatever goals they set, founded Essence of Fire Incorporated. The founder Keisha Wilson intends to showcase the inner and natural beauty of women while displaying the individualism of the career Female Firefighter.

carol_coloradosprings_site

7. Colorado Firefighter Calendar. The Colorado Firefighter Calendar is produced by and for Fired up for Kids. The calendar raises money for the nonprofit organization.

The Colorado Firefighter Calendar is produced and created by Fired Up For Kids, a nonprofit organization. Fired Up For Kids donates all proceeds received from special events and sales of Colorado Firefighter Calendar to The Children’s Hospital Burn Center.  The burn center is committed to providing the highest standard of burn care to neonates, infants, children, and adolescents up to 21 years of age in the Rocky Mountain region.  To date, Fired Up For Kids has raised more than $200,000. For more information about The Children’s Hospital Burn Center, visit www.tchden.org.

Great cause, great calendar. Well that is if you can get over the fact that the firefighter/model to the right is the only women in the calendar. Either way, it was worthy of making this list for that and that alone!

Go out and get one now.

Fire Girls Calendar

Fire Girls Calendar

6. Fire Girls. Warning: This site might not be safe for work. This calendar boasts “The hottest female firefighters ever”.

However, it also states “Die FireGirls 2009: Zwei Top-Playboy-Models aus London und Oslo, die sich voll ins Zeug legen. The Fire Girls 2009: Two top-Playboy model from London and Oslo, which is full to pull. Florian Lohmann, bekannter Playboyfotograf, hat die Girls bei zahlreichen „Einsätzen“ fotografiert. Florian Lohmann, famous Playboy photographer, the girls on numerous “missions” photographed. “ Which if translated says something about the models being from playboy.

I don’t know if they are firefighters or not. One thing is for sure…they are very sexy!

The website is in German I think. I’m a firefighter not a Scholar.

Either way, pictures like this are in every language.

Apparently, it is only the two models in the calendar.

ameri

AFF Calendar

5. America’s Female Firefighters. The America’s Female Firefighter Calendar boasts:

” The wonderful ladies of the calendar are all paid professional firefighters who have donated so much of their time to appear in, promote, sell, and travel with the calendar throughout the United States, their hard work and dedication in raising and expending funds for the benefit of, and to otherwise aid and assist burn survivors should be commended by all who meet them.”

Unfortunately, the website does not have too many images on it for us to check out. I always like test driving a calendar before I buy it (don’t read into that too far).

Maybe we will just have to hold out hope that the dates are correct! After all, we buy these to know when the holidays are right.

Women of EMS Calendar

Women of EMS Calendar

4. Women of EMS. Apparently the Girls of EMS have grown up and are now considered the Women of EMS. The Women of EMS Calendar appears to be a pretty decent array of good looking women in the EMS Service. This is the only calendar we could find that was related to EMS. However, the requirements are that the models are in the Police, EMS, or Fire Service. Naughty Police Officers? Sign me up! What next, librarians?

Now I can’t get the image of Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder out of my mind.

The website is kinda hard to navigate and does not offer too much information.

Feel free to take a look around though (link).

Female Firefighter Calendar

Female Firefighter Calendar

3. Female Firefighters. The Female Firefighters Calendar boasts:

“All the women, who are full time firefighters  in the Queensland Fire Service have banded together with selected sponsors to help raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer and the Cancer Council Queensland.”

Who knew that Queensland had hot female firefighters? Everyone knows now! The website offers a full bio on all of the models. Apparently short hair is the new long hair in the Queensland fire service. Just don’t tell all those shaggy looking 20 something American male firefighters who walk around looking like they have never had a haircut in their life.

The website has information on becoming a firefighter in Queensland as well as information on the charity the calendar is for.

Check it out.

Female Firefighters from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service team up with the Cancer Council Queensland for a sizzling fundraiser.

Firehouse Dolls

Firehouse Dolls

2. Firehouse Dolls. This calendar is probably the most widely publicized and marketed. You have to believe that the women are hot! The website offers current events of the dolls partying working the fire service convention circuit year round.

The website states:

Firehouse Dolls is firefighter owned and operated. Our Calendars and DVD’s feature Beautiful Female Firefighters, EMT’s, Paramedics. Dispatchers and any Pretty Girl associated with the fire/rescue service. Paid and Volunteer!

A portion of the sales of our products are donated to random volunteer fire departments. The models go to trade shows every year to sell and autograph our products. Please look for the models at the next trade show you are attending.

Smokin Hot in Texas

Smokin Hot in Texas

1. Smokin Hot in Texas. The Smokin Hot in Texas Calendar leads the list of top ten female firefighter calendars for no other reason than the picture to the right. You cannot beat Texas, the American Flag, and a smoking hot female firefighter.

The President, Traci,  of the calendar even has a Firefighter Nation Profile. More importantly she is Miss April in the 2009 calendar.

Are you even reading this? I am having a hard type timing with the picture to the right. She is miss July –>

Oh say does that star….oops.

The website states: Our female firefighters are proud to represent the LONE STAR STATE!!!  We are Firefighters, Paramedics, Engineers, in the ranks, and hold specialty certifications, all of which play an important part in the fire service.  We are wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, friends, and athletes.  Role models for women of today, from all walks of life. All proceeds from the sales of this calendar, will benefit Parkland Burn Center, and a project known as ‘Angel Faces’.  We appreciate your interest in our cause.



Posted by firecritic on August 10, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Top Ten items that should be in your Turnout Gear

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Below is a top ten list of things that should be in your turnout gear. While I did some research on this subject, I will mostly reference VentEnterSearch.com and TheFireStore.com on this one. VentEnterSearch.com has some great information on their site and TheFireStore.com has the largest selection of firefighter junk! I will link to specific content where applicable. The list has been made assuming that you have turnout gear, helmet, SCBA, gloves, a radio, etc. If this is your first top ten list you have viewed by The Fire Critic, they are done from 10 to 1. 1 being the best. Check out our other top ten lists here.

Remember, we don’t know what call we will run next. Therefore, this list was set up for everyday operations with any and every call in mind.

Non-Contact Voltage Detector

Non-Contact Voltage Detector

10. Electrical Tester – Electricity is invisible, unless of course it is arcing and then it is a no-brainer. Electricity can shock and/or kill firefighters when they come in contact with it. This tool can help you evaluate the threat of live wires. It can also speed up the investigation process when you are first on scene to rule out or confine the emergency. Remember to always treat wires as being live unless you can ensure they are not. This tool can be purchased for around $15. This model is offered by Lowe’s. This tool is lightweight and does not take up a lot of room.

Window Punch

Window Punch

9. Window Punch - Everyone knows there are so many tools to break a window. Using a window punch is less messy and a hell of a lot more professional than throwing a tire iron through the car window only to crush the infant you are trying to get to after her mother locked her in the car at the mall. This tool can be found in many types of kits for first responders. The window punch is another small lightweight tool that can be purchased for next to nothing.

The window punch pictured can be purchased for $6 here.

Tin snips shown with a backup flashlight

Tin snips w/ backup flashlight

8. Tin Snips – Tin snips or other wire cutters are becoming a very popular tool at many training classes. The various cutting tools in this family can cut through different types of metals. Tin snips can be found at most home improvement stores for around $10-$15. The photo is from VentEnterSearch.com “Whats in your Pockets” page. I recently attended a class and was able to utilize many various types of handheld cutting tools. While it is not likely that you would carry all of the various cutters, the tin snips is a good place to start.

The sheath for the tin snips is a great idea too. Otherwise, the snips will eventually wear away the pocket of your turnout gear and create a hole.

7. Screwdriver – Face it, you cant get a screw out with your bare hands. A 5 in 1 screwdriver is key here! If you have to get a screw backed out and you don’t have a screwdriver you are simply screwed. Air handler units, hinges, hard wiring a car, or assembling office furniture are no threat with one of these deals. Screwdrivers are a dime a dozen. Sorry I don’t have a photo but I am sure you can find one.

The Cherry Bomber

The Cherry Bomber

6. Door Wedge - Being able to ensure that the door you just opened stays open is a life and death matter. Another scenario is keeping a door open to ventilate. Door wedges can vary from the basic piece of wood to more elaborate plastic molded things with brand names on them to hand made and forged thing-a-ma-bobs. For various types of hand made ones you can check out VentEnterSearch.com. For the brand name more expensive ones check out TheFireStore.com.  Hell, some guys only use a simple 16 penny nail to hold the door open. Shown in the photo is the Cherry Bomber from VentEnterSearch.com. Cost: $1 – $25.

5. Knife - Knives have soooo many uses. Most of my brothers cringe when I put my Benchmade through its paces. The unique thing is that they can be sharpened (just don’t tell them). Knives come in all shapes and sizes. They are kinda like sports cars. The guy who has the biggest knife is overcompensating. Throw-away models are perfectly acceptable, just make sure you throw them away when they have served their lifespan. One thing is for sure, you have to carry a knife ALL THE TIME. How else are you gonna open that can of skoal? Sorry I couldn’t narrow a photo of a knife down to just one. Just remember when you are choosing one, you probably aren’t going to have to beat your way through a sugar cane field with it. Feel free to spend anywhere from $10-$400 bucks on a knife, the more expensive ones having your name engraved in ivory handles!

Vice grips

Vice grips

4. Vice Grips - Vice grips have numerous uses. You can use it to loosen or tighten a bolt, clamp it on as a door wedge,  or maybe clamp it on an overhead door track to keep the door from coming down. Check out the link here or here for ideas on use and customizing your vice grip.

One other use on the links included above is attaching some webbing and clamping the vice grips on a lock to hold it out of the way while you cut it with a saw. $10 should put you right on one of these.

Multi-tool

Multi-tool

3. Multi-Tool - the beautiful thing about a multi-tool is that it has multiple tools in it, hence the name. That doesn’t mean you have to get the 300 tools in one swiss army knife. I am referring to a Gerber or Leatherman type multi-tool. Included might be a knife, screw drivers, file, pliers, etc. Basically, you can carry this tool instead of a couple others on this list. This is something you can carry in your turnout gear or on your uniform belt. Take your pick, just remember you will have to get to it when you need it. Think of how awkward it is to dig for your wallet at the grocery store when you have turnout gear on. Cost: $50 – $100. This is one of those items you should not skimp on.

2. Webbing – Webbing is very versatile. The main reason I carry two different types and lengths is in case I have to rescue a firefighter or bail out of a window. However, if that window is on the 8th floor I will only actually fall from the 6th floor because I only carry about 35 feet of it. I carry 15′ of 2″ webbing and 20 feet or so of 1″. Don’t quote me on that, but I am set up for a second story bail out. I figure that is pretty good and carrying 100′ is out of the question. I keep mine looped and have about 3 carabiners with them. Carry pink webbing if you dare, but I would leave that for the ladies. Other uses include carrying tools, lowering and raising tools, and towing the ambulance out of the ditch when they run off the road (just kidding don’t try this).Cost: a couple of bucks per foot max.

1. Flashlight - The number one thing you should have in your pockets is a flashlight. Carry two of them. One to use, and another to use when the first one dies, breaks, or is lost. Have you ever been in a fire? Yeah, they look nothing like the ones on Rescue me. You know the ones where you can see Tommy Gavin’s flowing blond hair all the way down the hallway. It doesn’t happen. Without a flashlight you are blind. If you are blind you are no longer any help but more of a hindrance. Be sure to check your backup flashlight daily! Don’t worry if you aren’t carrying 1.5 million candlepower, a simple garrity throw away light will do as a backup unless it is melted to your helmet from the last fire you ran. Cost: $2 – $100.

Feel free to leave your comments. I am sure many of you would place some of these in different orders or add a few here and there. I love the feedback so lets hear it.

Disclaimer: the photos above were used from Lowe’s, VentEnterSearch.com, and TheFireStore.com.

Posted by firecritic on July 18, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: , , , , ,

Considerations for Top Ten Fire, EMS, and Blog Categories

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Usually, a top ten list only takes a couple hours to a couple day s to complete depending on the category.

Below are websites and blogs in their respective categories. If you have one that you think should be on the list but is not please let me know.

Some websites are not included because of their demographic. For instance, State Fire News sites are not included, some websites use a “blog” format but are more like websites and have been included there. Some blogs are that great that they are in a couple of categories.

I have plans in the future to do top ten lists for State Fire and/or EMS websites, Local blogs, training sites and blogs,  and local fire department sites. Feel free to get your link in for consideration today.

If you run a website, blog, or whatever and think you should be on this list or would like to be in consideration please let us know via email (firecritic@firecritic.com), comment, or contact us link at the top.

The following are in no particular order:

Fire website – Top ten all around Fire websites

Firefighter Blogs

EMS Websites

EMS Blogs

Posted by firecritic on July 16, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: , ,

What are the best Fire and/or EMS websites?

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I am working on the next installment of the top ten lists. The list will be the top ten fire and/or EMS websites. Although I might do one list for Fire and another for EMS. I am looking for feedback on what you think might be one of the top ten. No poll, no questionnaire, just what do you think is a good one to consider. Let me know via email at firecritic@firecritic.com, using the contact us form in the menu bar, or leaving a comment. They can be web sites or blogs as long as they have something to do with fire and/or EMS.

Things you might consider are:

  • Popularity of the site
  • How often you visit the site
  • Useful information on the site
  • Knowledge of contributors on the site
  • How often a site is updated
  • How quickly they post breaking news
  • How in depth they are on news, training, events, etc.

Those are just some criteria you might consider. Feel free to submit your own sites. They can be local, regional, national, or International. They don’t have to be in English, but they do have to be translatable. Look for the list to be published in the next week.

Also, if you have an idea for a top ten list feel free to let me know.

Editors Note: On second thought, I might do 4 catagories…Top ten Fire websites, EMS websites, Fire Blogs, and EMS blogs.

Posted by firecritic on July 10, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News, Top Ten Lists • Tagged:

Top Ten Marketing Tools for Fire/EMS Blogs and Websites

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Today, I would like to delve into the top ten tools that webmasters and bloggers can do to market their blog or website. For obvious reasons, websites and blogs want readers. This Top Ten list assumes that you are writing stuff that your audience wants to read, if not try working on that first then revisit my list. Trust me, there are so many more things you can do, some simple and others more difficult to better market your site but these are my top ten. Feel free to leave a comment if you have a question or email me.

Fire Critic side note: this list was created for fire and EMS blogs, however it can be used by just about any webmaster or blogger.

10. A sig (Signature file). A sig file is added to the end of EVERY email you send. Don’t be shy, but be concise. Add your website name, url, and maybe even the banner, but not much more. I have seen signatures that trail on into infinity. I don’t want to see the abbreviation of every credential, certificate, and degree you have in your signature…Nobody cares. If you are important, let other people make that determination on their own. Various email clients offer different ways of adding this. I have yet to do it for my email I use for this site, but do as I say not as I do.

9. Name drop. Whenever possible, talk about other bloggers, blogs, websites, authors and be sure to hyperlink to their site or article you are referring to. You would be surprised at how many people search for certain peoples names. You can get traffic from people searching for those people and your site coming up on the search pages! Trust me. You would not believe how many people come to my site because I spoke about guys like Ray McCormack, Dave Iannone, and Bobby Halton (see I just did it again!). Of course adding in a name like Megan Fox, Pamela Anderson, or Michael Jackson doesn’t hurt either!

8. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Make every attempt to get every hit you can out of everything you write. This includes the internal code. For example, go to the top line of the browser at firehouse.com (name drop) and look at all the shit they have on there. I guarantee that if you search for any of those terms, they will be in the top of searches. There is a lot more to SEO, but we will start out small.

7. Post on Forums. You can get a lot of traffic by posting on forums. Utilize a name that is very close if not the same to your website/blog. Be sure to offer your link in your profile AND your signature on the forums so people can click right over to your site. However, do not be an ass on the forums…keep that for the lonely guys who post like idiots on The Watchdesk (name drop).

6. Reciprocal Links. Offer and ask for reciprocal links. Whenever someone links to you, link back to them. Whenever you ask for someone to link to your site be sure you have already linked to them. Don’t be a link whore though. If someone wants you to link to their carpetmunching website don’t unless you are running another carpetmunching website.

5. Comment on other blogs. One huge benefit of running a blog is offering the ability for readers to comment. Those comment will create CON-VER-SA-TION and keep readers coming back to read and re-comment. When you read another blog, leave a comment! Trust me, this works. Readers see it and blog authors see it and will visit your site. ALWAYS give your name or PSEUDONYM (like Fire Critic) and a link to your url when prompted. Be sure to offer the ability for readers to be notified when someone leaves a comment after them (I recently added this ability to the Fire Critic Blog).

4. Network. Network using sites like Facebook, Twitter, Firefighter Nation, Jems Connect, LinkedIn, and even Myspace if you are still a teenager. Use these sites to their utmost. With the advent of Mafia Wars and other games like that people are spending more and more time on these sites. Be sure to include your RSS feed so that people can get to your content from these sites! Twitter has become a great tool in networking too! You can even use your twitter account to update your facebook updates now.

3. RSS Feed. You must have an RSS Feed available if you are blogging. More importantly, offer the ability for readers to receive your feed via email. Try Google Feedburner.

2. Create an Image. Create an image for your site. Be sure to have your site name and/or url in the image. The image should easily identify your site much like the scary (boo) skull and fire shroud I picked! Either create one, buy one, or have someone make you one. Be sure to make a banner for your site as well and offer it in various sizes. One more better step is offer the code so that other sites can post your banner without hosting the image themselves. You can view the Fire Critic’s logo and banners here.

1. Get your own domain. Do not settle for a domain that ends in .wordpress.com or .blogspot.com people will never remember your url and might give up thinking about it. Instead of having that trailing url, spend the $10 a year and get your own. You can create a forward to the .blogspot.com url easily. Ultimately, you should get your own domain url AND hosting. This opens so many more options to you as a blogger/webmaster.

Posted by firecritic on July 1, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Website Design Solutions for the Fire Service

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Let’s face it, firefighters are not all that web savy…at least not all of us. The internet speaks in a language most firefighters didn’t take in school, unless of course you are Dave Iannone. Some firehouses and departments have been able to create a website from time to time that serves the needs of telling the public who they are via the internet without too much help. However, if you really want to show off your department and none of your firefighters went to college for web design then you need to check out the companies below. These website design companies were specifically created for the fire service. Most of them offer functionality that firefighters want to share on their websites and that visitors want to see. Some of them are free, but most cost money. However, this is one of those cases where the money spent is worth it. Don’t worry, none of them are going to break the bank. In my eyes, a great looking website that is updated frequently is well worth the expense and should be a priority for any fire department.

I give you the top ten firefighting design website solutions for the fire service:

firehousenetwork

10. Firehouse.com Firehouse Network – The Firehouse Network offers a free website for departments. The best attribute is that it is free, the worst is that it is on their site and there isn’t much functionality. This basic ability to have your departments information on the web should be taken advantage of even if you have your own site already or chose from one below. Cost: Free

unionfireweb

9. Union Fire Web Design – Union Fire Web Design is offered exclusively for IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) locals. The pro is that not everyone can have a site. The con is that not everyone can have a site. This company is run by an IAFF firefighter and boasts a handful of sites. Not all of the sites look the same unlike many other template driven sites. Cost: hosting is 10 bucks a year, no design price listed.

firefighternation

8. Firefighter Nation – FirefighterNation.com is like the facebook or myspace of the fire service. They have a partner site for EMS (Jems Connect). The site can be used for individual firefighters or you can start your own page for your department. This site is FREE and the functionality is added to frequently. Firefighter Nation has been around for less than a year and boasts 35,000 members. It is very easy to network within the site. The site is a brainchild of Dave Iannone, one of the founders of Firehouse.com. Cost: Free

firewebsites

7. Fire Websites – FireWebsites.com offeres websites for the fire service and you have your choice of a standard template or a custom website for your department. The good thing about this is free graphics and your own look, the downside is trying to figure out the pricing on the pricing page. They include database options and documentation options. Cost: turnkey for 159.90

profirefighter

6. ProFirefighter.com – Profirefighter.com is another “Union” only web design company. The company is run by the Oregon State Professional Firefighters. The biggest benefit is the A+ support. If you have a problem someon actually calls you back and helps you out!!! The downside is that it is Union only. They have a template that everyone uses which makes the graphics very important in making your site stand out from the rest. They offer Content Management, Member Access, Message Boards, Classifieds, Online Voting, Email Broadcasting, etc. Cost: $395 setup fee and then $39.90 a month for the basic plan.

unioncentrics

5. Union Centrics – Union Centrics is the same as Fire Centrics (#4) except that it is only offered to IAFF Affiliates. They offer a very professional looking template driven website for firefighters. The offer texting, content management system, member access, message boards, chat rooms, online voting, conten syndication (RSS), email broadcasting, ecommerce, etc. Cost: $745.40 for 12 months basic plan then $32.95/monthly or $395.40/yearly

firecentrics

4. Fire Centrics – Fire Centrics  offers a very professional looking template driven website for firefighters. The offer texting, content management system, member access, message boards, chat rooms, online voting, conten syndication (RSS), email broadcasting, ecommerce, etc. Cost: $1495.40 for 12 months basic plan then $39.95 month.

firehousesolutions

3. FirehouseSolutions.com – FirehouseSolutions.com offers another well designed web templated design. The site offers online calendar, discussion forums, announcements, guestbook, e-alerts, email, etc. Cost: $795.00 start up fee and then $59.95 a month.

firecompanies

2. FireCompanies.com – FireCompanies.com offers a very well designed web template for your department. Their best attribute might be the graphics. They seem to be more in tune with volunteer departments, but they can be used for any department. They offer members area, a site redesign every two years, texting, online store, email, RSS, member profiles, and hall rental manager. Cost: $499.99 one time design fee and then $39.99 a month.

yourfirstdue

1. YourFirstDue.com – YourFirstDue.com has been on the scene for about 2 years now. Their sites continue to grow as people realize what a great deal this really is. The upside is the cost and functionality. The downside is the lack of graphic design. Some of the other great things about this managment solution is accepting online donations, banner ads, call history, call volume, ERG search, adding fire related news to the site, etc. Cost: $24.95 monthly, no setup fees or contracts.

There you have it. I must say that each of them have their ups and downs, but for your money YourFirstDue.com is the best by far and it is very easy to use. Many of the sites above offer the ability to go to their site and do a demo. I suggest you do this before jumping in feet first.

What do you think? Who do you use?

Posted by firecritic on June 17, 2009 • Filed under: Blog Tips, Must Read, Top Ten Lists • Tagged: , , , ,