I will lay out the following as hypothetical, and no it did not involve me, but consider it having happened and I would love to hear your responses.
Sesame Street Fire Department has a firefighter who has a facebook page. Much like around 3/4 of the department who also have facebook pages, this firefighter uses it for personal use. I do not know if the firefighter labels himself as an employee of Sesame Street Fire Department on his facebook page, but let us say that he does as most others do.
The firefighter posts a status update on his facebook page quoting the movie Pulp Fiction. The quote has the N-word in it. However, the firefighter chooses to use text similar to “n#$%@r” instead of spelling it out. I do not believe the firefighter notates that the text is a movie quote.
By all accounts of people who saw it and the way it was presented, the status update was done in fun and was not done intentionally slight anyone.
Upon seeing this status update, another firefighter in his firehouse raises issue. These two firefighters are reported to already having a less than ideal relationship.
The firefighter who found it offensive then told others. There BC caught wind of the issue.
The status update is reported to having NOT been done on-duty.
Now there are rumors of the Chiefs getting involved. There are rumors of the firefighter being fired.
Upon catching wind of this, the firefighter posted that it was a movie quote from Pulp Fiction, later deleted the status update, and has since removed most of the other firefighters from his friends list.
The Sesame Street Fire department has a policy for using social media sites that goes something like this (in my own words).
You may use the sites (FB, Youtube, etc.) after 5pm, you should not spend too much time on these sites (or the comp. in general) and you should use proper judgment on the use.
Here are my questions:
Do you think quoting the movie with the N-word was irresponsible?
Do you find it offensive?
Do you think this is a fire-able offense?
Do you think the Department has any right to discipline the firefighter?
What actions, if any, should the department take on the matter?
What actions, if any, should the firefighter take to rectify the situation?
The first edition will be hosted right here on the Fire Critic on March 24th. All submissions must be in by the 22nd so I can put the first edition post together. We already have 5-6 submissions that are written very well and come at the title “I am a firefighter because…” from a couple different angles.
If you would like to partake in the First Due Blog Carnival all you have to do is:
Write a post answering the question “I am a firefighter because…”
The title of the post is not pertinent so you can title it anything you want.
Email me the post url to firecritic@firecritic.com and put “First Due Blog Carnival” in the subject line.
I will take care of the rest.
Any bloggers who are firefighters are welcome to submit their post. Basically, if you can answer “I am a firefighter because…” then you can partake! There will be plenty other episodes that other bloggers will be able to submit to depending on the episode title.
The second edition of the First Due Blog Carnival will be hosted by Bill Carey over at Backstep Firefighter and the episode will be “Influential Fire Reports”. There will be more information posted in the future on the 2nd edition.
This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to 1-Union-801. The blog, served up on blogspot, is run by a friend I have met via twitter. His twitter username is @ssgjbroyles. The blog 1-Union-8011-Union-801 tagline reads: Mainly how Military and Civilian EMS differ…although the tasks learned are the same.
The blog is fairly new and you know I love finding out about new fire/EMS related blogs. He doesn’t post everyday, but offers his views when you get a chance. When you get a chance head on over to 1-Union-801 and check it out!
The wheels are constantly spinning here at the Fire Critic Headquarters. The purpose, outreach, and emphasis are constantly changing…in short, this is a blog about the fire service and what is delivered to you is whatever happens to strike me as interesting.
The Fire Critic Mugs
There are many ways to keep in tune with the Fire Critic.
We also run the occasional contest here at the Fire Critic. Look for another one in the future. The last one was held on twitter, so be sure to follow @FireCritic!
I also do product reviews. If you have a product you would like me to review just check out the terms here.
Bill Carey of Backstep Firefighter did a bang up job in discussing the similarities and differences in the 2005 Houston LODD and the 2009 Houston LODD’s. He really spent some time writing a fine article and bringing question to various points within the post.
He asked me my thoughts on the matter and I was unable to get them to him in a timely manner, so here they are.
I scanned over the recent report on the 2009 LODD’s of Captain James Harlow and Firefighter Damion Hobbs.
While I am not as in depth as Bill is, I offer my thoughts which came to mind. My thoughts are more National in thought than just on the Houston FD.
The report pointed to a couple of things:
The lack of use of a thermal imaging camera (TIC)
The firefighters leaving the hoseline
The Captain not doing a 360 degree walkaround
The Captain not taking his radio
1. The lack of use of a thermal imaging camera (TIC)
Most departments roll with a firefighter, an officer, and a driver. If the driver is pumping, two firefighters are going in. Two firefighters to make an attack on the fire with a hoseline. One on the nozzle pulling hose, the other helping drag hose and talking on the radio if need be.
Who is going to carry the TIC? If that is an issue, put more staffing on the apparatus. In the HFD LODD report, it does state that in this case there were 3 firefighters going in but one had issues with their mask. In my department that would be an imaginary firefighter…We run with 3 total.
I agree that TIC’s have their place in finding victims, the seat of the fire, or possible means of egress. However, it is not the end-all!
2. The firefighters leaving the hoseline
From what I could tell, this point was processed by where the hoseline was laying vs. where the two men’s bodies were found.
I can only imagine that their last minutes on this earth were sheer terror and panic. I like to think that if I were in their shoes I would revert to training, experience, and knowledge and throw my brother firefighter over my shoulder and walk out the front door. However, we both know that we have gotten tunnel vision, fought panic and anxiety in situations less as life threatening as this.
I cannot correlate their final resting spots as cause for stating that they left the hoselines for any other reason than they realized death might have been imminent had they not.
3. The Captain not doing a 360 degree walkaround
Ah…the 360 walk-around. That ever present topic/tactic in presentations, training, and literature. That thing that I have never seen a first arriving officer do. That thing that incoming Incident Commanders rarely do.
I will put stock in this one….with caveats.
In a perfect world, we would pull up past the house getting three sides of the layout on arrival. My 2 firefighters in the back (remember that never happens in my dept.) would pull a line and force the door while I checked out the Charlie Side. I would then get back to the front of the house with my firefighters and develop a quick strategy (meaning possibly changing the point of entry upon my view of the backside of the house)
If I didn’t, the next in companies would or at least the BC upon arrival.
The truth in my department (urban firefighting hydrants/apparatus/crews bountiful on fires) is that if I were to do a walkaround, the next in engine would put the fire out before I got back up front…hypothetically.
I guess in my perfect World, if it were more than a bread and butter/room and contents fire we would do a walk-around or the BC close behind would do one and relay any pertinent information to us prior to us getting in too deep.
4. The Captain not taking his radio
He forgot it apparently. I have no excuses on this one. For the company officer, having a radio is a must. We have all forgotten something at one time or another. Did it prove fatal in this case? Maybe, there is no telling that if he had it he would have been able to get firefighters to his crew quick enough to save their lives.
You might remember me posting a video of Firefighters dancing to Poker Face by Lady GaGa back in August of 2009. The video was removed from Youtube, but then I found it again and added it back to the page. I have now taken the time to pick out some of the best firefighter dance videos.
The Top Ten Best and Funniest Firefighter Dance Videos…Enjoy!
10. Firefighter Dance
Description: the video starts out sllow but please watch all of it and rate and comments are welcome. i do not own any of the audio used and simply mixed together a few songs that sounded good with a few dj tools and myself and another fellow firefighter danced to it while another firefighter recorded it
9. Just Dance Lady GaGa Bunker Gear Dance
Description: With only 5 min of planning….Take 1…Action
8. Firefighters Got Rhythm
Description: Helping out the community
7. Firefighter Dance Video
Description: Some helicopter crewmembers take some time to develop some dance skills
6. Jake the dancing Fire Fighter
Description:
5. Newport Firefighters Doing Solja Boy
Description: four firefighters do soulja boy in front of their truck
4. The Firefighter Dance
Description: TRAINING BURN (since some thing he is neglecting his dutys)…Unprompted response after a firefighter sees the camera on him after fighting fire while training. But remember, after the work is done – nothing wrong with having a little fun. Be safe out there!
3. Fireman Pole Dance
Description: Fireman pole dancing on the fireman’s pole used to slide down to the fire engines from the upstairs floors. (with some unforseen consequences…)
2. Dancing Firefighter
Description: rookie firefighter paid to dance and man can he dance
1. Fire Fighters in Poker Face Music Video
Description: none
This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to To Old To Work, To Young To Retire (aka TOTWTYTR). The blog is brought to you by an anonymous blogger. I was fortunate enough to meet the blogger this past weekend.
What I found most interesting was how some of the other EMS bloggers were amazed at meeting him. Most of us bloggers have spoke on the phone, seen photos of each other, or at least emailed each other. Over time, this turns into a relationship/friendship of sorts. Prior to this weekend, I do not know that I have ever been in contact with TOTWTYTR. I have read his blog but must admit that I don’t catch it every day.
Apparently he writes some pretty interesting stuff. Interesting and opinionated enough that his identity must remain as anonymous as possible to keep a distance between the online anonymous writer and his real life identity. I understand this and have no issue with it.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to meet up with so many great bloggers, twitter friends, and other acquaintances. We were at the EMS Today conference.
I would like to give you the rundown. If I leave anyone out please let me know and I will add you in. There are some I may have met but not realized your other identities online.
I also got to meet Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) the PIO for PG County, Md. Great guy…I think I bored him.
And how could I forget a highlight of mine. I got to meet Dennis Rubin, the Chief of DCFD. It was an honor to chat with him. I have been a fan of his for a long time. I have enjoyed watching him work in the various roles and departments as well. Great chat and thanks to Mike Ward for introducing us! Justin and Mark got to meet him as well. You might see Chronicles of EMS in DC sometime in the future.
I also added a video below from Dave Statter that showcases Justin Schorr, Mark Glencorse, John Mitchell, Mike Ward, and myself!
Many of the photos below were taken by me. Others have been collected from facebook and other sites. I apologize for not giving credit for each photo. Be sure to scroll down for video and photos!
I hope for many more meet ups like this in the future! Who is going to be at FDIC?
Many of the Bloggers/Twitterers at EMS Today
I got into Baltimore around 1am on Friday morning. My first meetup was with John Mitchell (@FireDaily) of FireDaily.com and my co-host on Firefighter Netcast. We roomed together for the weekend and got to chat a little bit before calling it a night for the events of Friday. John and I have talked on the phone, through email, and even done some video skype sessions. We are great friends and have finally been able to hang out in person.
When Friday morning rolled around we hit the exhibit hall floor at EMS Today. Our first stop was the Zoll booth. Unfortunately I decided to listen to John on where the booth was and we walked a mile in the exhibit hall before realizing it was right near the front. John was adamant it was in the back. Our first disagreement…awe.
Walking up to the Zoll booth, we saw Justin Schorr (The Happy Medic and @TheHappyMedic) and Mark Glencorse (999 Medic and @UKMedic999). I didn’t expect either of them to pick out the two of us (who probably come off as a David Spade/Chris Farley looking duo). Justin quickly came right for me introducing himself. I introduced myself and hugs ensued. Justin is another guy I have spoken with a bunch, blogged about, and consider a brother. We were finally able to meet…in person. I introduced John (John had already realized that I love talking…). We then met Mark Glencorse.
Justin Schorr getting FireGeezer Bill Schumm to sign his mug
Right after meeting Justin and Mark we met Ted Setla (@setla). The stage was set. I had now met the main components of Chronicles of EMS. I would later meet Chris Eldridge (@thedridge), a cameraman who works with Setla and did wonders for Chronicles of EMS.
After chatting with Mark, Justin, John, and Setla we headed to the JEMS booth where we ran into Dave Iannone (@cooldavej) and Chris Hebert (@chebert13). These guys are huge entrepenuers in the Fire/EMS Service and I have learned a lot from them. I have spoken to both of them through email and phone and was thrilled to meet them. I have been a long time fan of both of their work and look forward to following them in the future! They both are with Go Forward Media and bring you FireEMSBlogs.com, FirefighterNation.com, and many other sites. They are formerly of Firehouse.com.
Dave and Chris were a lot of fun to hang out with. Chris and I had fun busting each others chops…just like at the firehouse! They shared the tab of the meetup later that night with George Washington University.Thanks for lunch as well guys!
Things just kinda fell all together after meeting Chris and Dave. The rest is not in chronological order necessarily.
Mike Ward, Rhett Fleitz, Dave Statter, and John Mitchell
We met Chris Montera (@geekymedic) of the EMS Garage and Jamie Davis (@podmedic) of MedicCast. These too guys put on great podcasting shows and put on live shows during the conference. It was great to see them in action and learn about what John and I hope to be doing in the future at Fire Conferences!
Jamie also runs the ProMed Network (an EMS podcasting hub).
Some of the rest of this may or may not include real names. I may refer to them as their twitter tags and/or blogs. I will do this in case of outing an anonymous blogger or because that is the only way I know them.
I met @nateemt_b while talking to some other guys. He was excited to be there and I had fun talking to him.
Soon after,April Saling @Epi_Junky showed up. She runs the Pink Warm and Dry blog. Very cool person and I enjoyed talking to her later at the meetup. Small World…she lives very close to my grandparents!
@Epi_Junky picked up Chris Kaiser (@CKEMTP) of Life Under The Lights. Chris and I hit it off well. He has been a guest on Firefighter Netcast and again it was like I knew him for years! Great guy, very articulate and speaks with words I do not know!
FireGeezer Bill Schumm, FossilMedic Mike Ward, Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz, and Fire Daily John Mitchell
I met Tom Bouthillet (@tbouthillet) of EMS12lead.com. Very cool guy. I know nothing about 12 lead anything, but he apparently does…and enjoys it enough to write about it. He posted about EMS Today here. Tom is a Fire Lieutenant / Paramedic for Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue and works for Chief Mick Mayers of Firehouse Zen (Mick was not present).
I met up with Mike Ward, the Fossil Medic (@FossilMedic). He runs FireGeezer with Bill Schumm (@FireGeezer). I would finally meet Bill on Saturday. He made the trek up to Baltimore to meet me…ok not really. He came to meet Justin and Mark…and the rest of us. Justin and Mark were thrilled to meet Bill and had him and Mike sign their FireGeezer mugs. Bill and I go back to the beginning of FireGeezer. I caught up with him when I was still going strong with RoanokeFire.com (my first blog). We have talked on the phone and email ever since. Great guy!
Mike Ward was a lot of fun too! He enjoyed the banter between myself and Dave Statter (@STATter911) of STATter911.com. I got to meet Dave at the meetup on Friday night. Needless to say, I feel like I know Dave really well! Anyone you can say “Nice to meet you, you son of a bitch” and them NOT get mad is alright in my book! Dave and I hit it off really well (at least that is what I thought..he may hate me now). Actually, Dave and I share a similar sense of humor.
Dave and I have talked on the phone and through email for years as well. I remember when he started STATter911.com and have enjoyed reading his site daily. His site is probably one of the most read in blogs in the Fire Service. Some love Dave, some love to hate Dave, but they all come back to see what he is writing about next. I cannot wait to hang out with Dave again in the future!
You might know Dave Statter as the blogger with the longest post titles in the world!
I got to meet @NJDiveMedic. He hung out with Me, Justin, Chris, John, and @Squirrl325 for drinks after the meetup.We had a blast and enjoyed some brews. @Squirrel325 was a blast to hang out with and was able to hunt down a great Irish pub when our first idea folded. Kaiser ended the night with an offer for all of us to do shots….I can’t hang like that anymore!
I got to meet Carissa O’Brien (@Carissao). She is really cool people and seemed to stay busy during the events. I also got to chat with Sebastian Wong (@SebWong). He is the EMS Chief (pretty sure that is his title) for the San Fransisco Fire Department. He just started a blog here. Great guy, easy to talk to, and fun to be around.
The interesting thing about David and Greg is that they have never met. Much like Justin and Mark before they finally met for Chronicles of EMS and John and I before this weekend. It just goes to show how friendships are born, partnerships are created, and businesses are started via networking through social media. Great guys and great ideas…forging ahead!
I also got to meet up with Ronnie Grubb, his wife and a friend. Ronnie lives near me and blogs. Ronnie runs The Gatekeeper. He gave his view of the events at EMS Today here. Ronnie was a blast to talk to. His excitement for EMS, firefighting, and other things we talked about was awesome. I look forward to more from Ronnie in the future…
I am sure there are plenty others out there whom I met and others there I did not get a chance to meet.
Chris Eldridge
Geeky Medic Chris Montera
Mark Glencorse, Justin Schorr, Michael Kurz MD, and Chris Montera
Justin Schorr
Justin Schorr getting FireGeezer Bill Schumm to sign his mug
Mark Glencorse
Justin Schorr and Mark Glencorse
Mike Ward, Rhett Fleitz, Dave Statter, and John Mitchell
Jamie Davis...The PodMedic (on the right)
Ted Setla
Rhett Fleitz and Justin Schorr
Justin Schorr and John Mitchell
John Mitchell, Mark Glencorse, and Rhett Fleitz
Many of the Bloggers/Twitterers at EMS Today
David Konig and Mark Glencorse
Rhett Fleitz, April Saling, and Jared Scott
FireGeezer Bill Schumm, FossilMedic Mike Ward, Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz, and Fire Daily John Mitchell
I had a blast this weekend. I was able to meet so many of my fellow bloggers, twitter friends, and many others. I also had my dose of EMS “stuff” for the next year.
I will have a long blog post tomorrow about it with some pictures and even some video. It may end up being a series of posts.
Thanks to FireEMSBlogs.com and George Washington University for sponsoring the Blogger/Twitter meetup!
If you blogged about the event, posted pictures, have pictures to share, or have embeddable video please let me know.
I am working on a long list of people I met and even a couple I am finding out were there who I didn’t get to meet.
The entire event was awesome. The highlights were meeting John Mitchell for the first time, cutting up with Dave Statter, meeting DCFD Chief Dennis Rubin, Justin and Mark, Bill Schumm (FireGeezer), Dave Iannone, Chris Hebert, Chris Kaiser…the list is long.
I just read an article about people questioning a 9 minute response time. Apparently, numerous other apparatus were responding to other 911 calls and the house fire response in question got apparatus from a further fire station than the first or second due.
It is unfortunate. It is also becoming more and more prevalent.
Whether it be increased call levels, apparatus taken out of service, decreased staffing, brownouts, or fire station closures response times are suffering.
From the report:
The city has five fire stations that house a variety of equipment, from engines to ambulances, but stations are not staffed with enough firefighters to fill all of the vehicles.
When the firefighters from the Country Club and Simpson stations were out on the other calls, no one else was available to go to the Broadway fire.
Huhn said officials want to add another fire station in the future, but in the meantime, being short-staffed is the big problem.
The department hasn’t had to lay off any firefighters in recent rounds of city budget cuts, but it has left four positions unfilled and hasn’t hired more firefighters to keep up with growth in Bend.
He said the kind of situation that happened on Wednesday is becoming more common.
“Unfortunately, the potential is there virtually every day,” Huhn said. (Continue reading)
Who works for a department that has NOT had apparatus removed from service permanently?
How would you combat questioning if this happened in your department?
When will enough be enough. The Russian Roulette of the fire service.
Until something changes for a lot of localities…9 minute response times…get used to it!
The Monday Morning Shoutout this week is The Fire PIO.
I have always been intrigued by PIO work although I have never done it. I guess it is one of those things that I wouldn’t mind doing as a second career after my fire career is over or something to fall back on if I were to get injured. I think that I would be decent at it.
Now there is a new guy on the block with a refreshing view of PIO work. The Fire PIO is run by Jeff Bressler.
Jeff Bressler is the Public Information Officer for the Smithtown Fire Department located on the North Shore of Long Island’s Suffolk County. An all volunteer department, Smithtown answers over 3,000 fire and EMS calls annually www.smithtownfd.org. (From his bio on the blog)
Jeff offers ideas for PIO’s, points out good and bad PIO work across the Nation, and blogs about other information for PIO’s. If you have not been following him you should check him out. His blog is one of the newer additions to the FireEMSBlogs.com community.
You can also follow him on twitter, facebook, and linkedin via links on his sidebar.
Flashback about 16 years ago. I was a junior in high school and had just been voted in as a member of the Midlothian Volunteer Fire Department in Chesterfield County, VA. I would become a junior firefighter and realize my ambition of becoming a career firefighter (that is another story coming soon).
The evening I was voted in was also the beginning of a couple other guys time at the VFD. Needless to say, we were stoked and had no clue of what the heck we were getting ourselves involved in.
That night we were to become one of the guys….and they other guys had an idea of how to break us in something proper. There we were hanging out between the vollie engine and paid engine. We were given an example of how we were to place the funnel in our pants and guide a quarter down our forehead into the funnel. The three of us did it at the same time. An example of the prank is below. Although, our guys went one step forward and drew around the quarter with a pencil leaving lead remnant on the edge of the quarter which made nice lines down our forehead and off our noses.
If you want to see more pranks…check them out here. Enjoy the video below. Hat tip to Dave Statter for sending me the vid!
Urban Firefighter Magazine (aka Urbanfirefighter.com, I will refer to it as UFM in this post) has officially been released. The site is something I have been waiting on for some time. UFM boasts a newer age in delivery of fire training, tactics, and the like.
Connect with UFM on twitter, facebook, rss feed, and google buzz through links in their sidebar.
In my words…
Urban Firefighter Magazine is a refreshing collaboration of some of the best. Not to take away from some other great venues. They offer their content free and online. It is available in print…if you print it out. No postage, no subscriptions, no renewal. As I can see in their first issue they offer some great content (I have not read it front to back quite yet, but I did read some and scan the rest). They are part of the new age in content delivery and acceptance much like some of the blogs you might read day in and day out.
UFM will probably not run some of the greats out of business, but they will give some a run for their money.
Erich Roden and Ray McCormack are the senior editors and have created a stand-up product. Erich maintained the blog TheHousewatch.com which featured writing from Erich and Ray McCormack prior to creating UFM.
FireGeezer gives his synopsis here and Dave Statter offers some words on the project here.
So why the title of the post “The Bandwagon….the new age is upon us”
The reason is because many long time published in print mediums have focused more and more on their online versions. Seeing an ever increasing customer base utilizing the online versions of their publications coupled with decreases in subscriptions, many companies are realizing the need to offer more content online.
In the fire service you can look at Firehouse Magazine, Fire Engineering Magazine, and Fire Rescue Magazine among others offering an online community and/or full content through online subscriptions.
As this occurs, we will see more of the advertising base move to online advertising and a decrease in print advertising. This is great news for someone like me who offers an online news site at VAFireNews.com. The small guys like me have maintained with the few advertisers who have understood the benefits of advertising online with the smaller venues.
What about the blogs?
For instance, UFM is offering blog type content as well. There are many other sites which have created a community of blogs. Together, these communities create a form of an online news site with the culmination of blog content on their homepage. Examples of sites like these are FireEMSBlogs.com and FirefighterNation.com.
Blogs like mine, which are attached to a community of blogs, as well as blogs which are stand alone should begin to see a trickle down effect of advertisers trying to get their claws on our sites.
and so I consider it the bandwagon…a good bandwagon. The process of moving to the online communities that is.
I commend Erich and Ray as well as any and all of their contributors and investors for creating a top notch site/online magazine. I look forward to reading their content and learning from some great firefighters and writers.
If you are interested in advertising information on their site/mag please contact them here.
If you are interested in advertising on the Fire Critic or VAFireNews.com please email me here.
If you are a blogger, be sure to keep up to date on when the First Due Blog Carnival is happening and where it is being hosted.
The first episode of the First Due Blog Carnival is “I am a firefighter because…”. All you have to do is write a blog answering the question and post it no later than March 22nd. Then email the link to me at firecritic@firecritic.com and I will include it in the first edition of the First Due Blog Carnival on March 24th!
You can really get into “I am a firefighter because…”. Maybe it was Emergency, maybe you are 2nd or 3rd generation, maybe you just always wanted to do it. Get down and dirty and tell us why you became a firefighter, why you stuck with it, and why you are proud to tell people you are a FIREFIGHTER when they ask your profession. Add in all the juicy details of when, where, and how you got your start. Other information such as your first fire, your worst fire so far, your biggest learning experience (read: mistake), etc. The sky is the limit!
I will post reminders between now and then! You have plenty of time to let me know if you don’t understand it or need some questions answered.
There will be a blogger meetup at the EMS Today Expo in Baltimore next Friday (March 5th). The meetup will include many big names in EMS and Fire blogs. The crew from Chronicles of EMS will be there as well. Fans, readers, friends, and many more will be there!
The Fire Critic will be there!As a matter of fact, I am riding the medic truck tomorrow just to get in the right mind set to hang out with so many needle throwers!
Let me know if you will be there in the comments section. I am looking forward to rubbing shoulders with many whom I have never met and would love to know who to look for!
If you follow the Fire Critic then there is a pretty good chance that you have heard of the Engine 9 Blog. This blog was a finalist for the Blog of the Year 2009. Unfortunately, soon after the contest was over one of the main contributors to that blog was moved. A and C shifts were the main contributors, the Lt. on A and the Captain on C. Engine 9’s Blog is still moving along.
I have great news for you though. Captain Willie Wines Jr., the more colorful writer on the Engine 9 Blog, has gone out on his own. Since being moved to a different station he has finally started a blog. Many of his fans and readers hounded him to move out on his own. I am happy to say that you can now join in on some of the great writing you were used to before over at IronFiremen.com. Check it out. He is only 2 posts deep, but look for plenty more in the future!
Join John Mitchell of Fire Daily and myself for the next installment of the fastest growing firefighter netcast/podcast at 9pm EST.
We will be discussing many topics including:
The upcoming EMS Today Conference – Both John and I will be there!
The meetup at the EMS Today Conference on Friday…more info soon
The First Due Fire Blog Carnival
FDIC – John and I will be there.
Firehouse Expo in Baltimore – John and I will be there
And many news topics.
The theme for tonight is open mic night. Feel free to call in and discuss what is on your mind.We are looking forward to hearing from our listeners tonight!!!
The First Due Fire Blog Carnival is the first of its kind for the fire service as far as I know. The idea comes from some of the greats in the Fire/EMS Blog community. If you have a blog and would like to get involved in the Blog Carnival just leave a comment. More on that tonight at the live Firefighter Netcast. Be there!
This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to Life Under The Lights or (LOTL). LOTL is run by a Chris Kaiser, a Firefighter/Paramedic in Illinois (the S is silent).
His blog focuses on para-medicine, although he runs the occasional fire. His insight on EMS 2.0 is thought provoking and well examined. He has recently been involved with Justin and Mark in their latest videos “A Seat at the Table“…
Chris was also featured on Firefighter Netcast among other things. Life Under The Lights is celebrating a year on the net this month. I look forward to big things from Chris in the future and read his site daily!
Each of us will eventually come to a time where we discontinue active firefighting and/or EMS. Whether we retire, are put on disability, move on to something else, stop volunteering, or move to a support role, we will not be active in our profession forever.
Most of what I see in my department is retirement. It seem as though the decision to retire is a very emotional one. Most may talk like they can’t wait to leave, but the fact remains that they don’t want to find out the department can operate without them. It makes sense after giving the department 25-30 years of dedication.
And then there are some who leave on disability. Many who have left due to injury in my department don’t get disability. We had a guy recently who was moved to dispatch. That is a whole other story, and a very depressing one at that. Our jobs are dangerous, risk is imminent, and injuries are common. Having to leave our profession due to injury has to be depressing.
Just because these guys are not in the company anymore you don’t have to forget them. I can only imagine not being able to do what I love. Your life goes on as it was…to and from work, enjoying the camaraderie, running calls, and solving the World’s problems at the kitchen table.
I know of at least 3 of my “blog” friends who have begun blogging due to injury. One is back on the job, one is still fighting for disability, and another had to take early retirement due to injury. Blogging is apparently therapeutic. I commend them for maintaining active blogs and keeping themselves involved in the firefighting community.
As a firefighter who maintains a keen understanding of the Brotherhood (all the ups and downs too), I realize the need to not forget these guys who aren’t hopping on the truck anymore when the tones go off.
I hate hearing about how the phone calls start tapering off and communication ceases. There is no need to forget them…give them a call. Invite them for a meal.
And for the guys who are sidelined, be sure to stop by for a meal from time to time. That is a great way to maintain a friendship with your peers. As time goes on, newer guys join or are hired. If you want to stay in the know and meet the new guys just stop in from time to time and enjoy the company.
You can follow Firefighter Netcast on twitter and facebook as well. The links are at FirefighterNetcast.com.
Doctor Anonymous uses Blog Talk Radio just like we do on our netcasts.
You can read more about our show tonight here including a video preview of the show.
It will be new to us being featured on another show. We have called in before on others shows, but never featured!
From Doctor Anonymous:
So, I hope you’ll be able to join us live on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9pm Eastern Time for Doctor Anonymous Show 147. For those who may be new to the show, there is a chat room during the show. You can also call in to say hello. There is even a webcam so that you can see me do the show live before your very eyes. Don’t forget to become a Facebook Fan of the show. Also, check out the video promo below. Hope to see you for this week’s show!
I will be writing more about this in the near future…but take this for what it is worth.
I have pulled the embedded videos of the FDIC speech. I do not have the videos, nor did I upload them. I merely linked to them where they were located.
I have done this out of respect for those involved.
This was not an easy decision, but I feel as though it was the right one.
I felt at the time that people should see the video. I still feel that way, but I do not know everything involved with the speech and the issues surrounding it.
I remember when I began this blog, one of my first new acquaintances was The Happy Medic. At the time, he was living under the pseudonym Steph Frolin. We exchanged some ideas and we were both running anonymous blogs (his more so than mine). It didn’t take me long to figure out who HE was though and he totally busted my over-the-top investigative skills by saying yeah that is me and it is no big deal…although he was still anonymous. I considered it OUR little secret at the time.
Justin, as we all call him now that he has “come out of the closet” with his anonymity, was very excited about this project with Mark Glencorse (999 Medic).
I apologize, but I am sure I am paraphrasing stuff I have already written.
Fast forward to this last weekend, enter in many other key players like Ted Setla and Chris Eldridge, mix up hundreds of giddy followers of #CoEMS on twitter, throw in over 3,000 fans on facebook, showcase the writing of dozens of great bloggers, and don’t forget about the social media inept following whose numbers are unobtainable and you have the Chronicles of EMS.
I was there to watch the premiere online and was able to chat with other viewers. The buzz was great!
What is even more amazing is watching, reading, and imagining this grassroots effort take hold.
These guys are not missing a beat. They are pounding the pavement to spread the word about their project, our project, your project.
For EMS professionals not to be in tune with what these guys are doing is like ignoring the next big thing. This is not a fad though. This is a realization of change, a necissary step in making our service better, and a bandwagon that has room for all of us.
For EMS industry leaders, the time has come to embrace the cutting edge of a movement and involve yourself with the professionals who make this industry work.
I must say that episode 1 was excellent. I watched it today with the guys at the station and I heard many comments. One comment that really stuck out was when Justin was helping a patient step into the back of the ambulance…a medic/firefighter watching with me said he applauded Justin for having the guy walk on his own knowing that he was being filmed. Whether it is or isn’t protocol, it spoke volumes on Justin’s behalf (as viewed by us) that Justin was willing to do business as usual and NOT cater to the depths of worrying about what others might say by his performance at work.
After all, that is what it is all about….how we/they/you DO EMS. There were many other examples as seen in the show. The introspect that Mark and Justin were able to give about how San Fransisco/United States does stuff versus how it would be done in the UK was a breath of fresh air.
Keep up the great work guys, we are watching, we are learning, we are INTERESTED!
Have you caught the new show on CBS titled Undercover Boss? They have featured two episodes, one of a waste management company and another for Hooter’s. The premise is simple…the CEO/President goes undercover and works along side the grunts in the company. The CEO then learns or relives the enjoyment of the job at various levels.
I think this would be great for Fire/EMS Chiefs across the Nation. Put them on the rig and let them go to work.
Chances are that they won’t be undercover due to the size of most departments, but the premise could still work. Plus with the Chief not actually being “undercover” it will mean more of us keeping our jobs when we start talking at the kitchen table!
How many of you work for a Chief who has never ridden a rig in your department?
How many of you work for a Chief who has been off the rigs for decades?
Do you think it will help for the Chief to reconnect? Many of us probably work for Chiefs who we see more on the tv than we do in our own firehouses. Does your Chief appear to have a keen understanding of what you do? Some are great leaders who do not “forget where they come from” and yet others lose all correlation to the fact that the men are what make them great Chiefs.
I just wonder what they might learn about:
Morale
Brownouts
Running BS calls on the ambulance
How memorandums they publish effect us in the company
How we juggle our schedule and family life
How we juggle pre-fire plans, hydrant maintenance, company drills, training, territory drills, calls, cooking, and all the other stuff we do on a daily basis.
In 2006, with a resurging interest in public service and the time to devote to his community, Ronnie rejoined the ranks of the volunteers in Henry County and began the arduous task of retraining and recertification. It was during this time the he noticed that he had entered into a realm that had changed and was now foreign to his memories of what emergency work was about.
Ronnie has aligned himself with those whose mission it has become to establish Emergency Medical Services into a respected career and profession. While pursuing an associate’s degree and certification as a National Registered Paramedic at Patrick Henry Community College, Ronnie has developed a high threshold for professionalism and quality of service that was imparted through his instructor and mentor, Jeff Reynolds.
The bonus for me is that this is a blog that is very close to my locality. I love bumping into another blogger near me and I look forward to reading more from FirstDueMedic.com. Keep up the great work Ronnie!
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