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Do You Use Facebook? Do You Tweet? Why?

A great friend of mine, Jeff Harkey, recently wrote an article titled “More Twitter, Less Facebook“. His view is that he can get more bang for his buck using Twitter than Facebook. He goes on to say (in my words) that he would rather the quick rich exchange of information as forced by Twitter than the random, sometimes useless, and less content rich updates on Facebook.

Be sure to take the time to read Jeff’s entire article here.

Jeff Harkey operates FireNews.net among other sites. He is a steward and fan of the fire service. His view of Twitter vs. Facebook is a mixture of thoughts on his personal use as well as business use of both sites. I can relate…kinda.

FireNews.net – Facebook – Twitter @FireNews

Jeff states:

“Reading through my Facebook feed is very time consuming, and I usually don’t feel smarter when I’m done. It’s also hard to tell when I’m done. Where did I leave off last time? Oh yeah, I think I remember seeing that puppy before…….

Reading through a Twitter feed is fast and efficient. I can easily read new Tweets from where I last left off and be sure I haven’t missed any messages.”

I do not have a clue how he keeps up with either. With over 5900+ followers on Twitter (I follow 3900+), I can’t keep up with hardly anything more than conversations between myself and others. I often check to see what is trending within my followers, but other than that I realized a long time ago I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

As for Facebook, I have 2900+ friends on my personal Facebook profile. I DO NOT know each of them personally. As for The Fire Critic Facebook Page, there are over 25,000 fans. The good thing about a Fan Page is that it is up to them to keep up with what is going on. The interactions are kept to comments, messages, and postings on the wall by others. That is just one of the pages I update.

FireCritic on Facebook – Twitter @FireCritic

When I read that Jeff likes Twitter over Facebook I thought that he meant for business use…for which I thought he was crazy. Facebook provides A LOT of traffic to FireCritic.com. However, once I realized he was talking more about his personal use, I could somewhat understand what he was saying.

Here is where it is different for me…

The Fire Critic has become more of an alter ego for me than just a “blog” I operate. I don’t mean a Jekyll and Hyde type of relationship, but many of the readers of The Fire Critic know me from operating it. I run the Facebook Page just like it were me talking. I update it more often than I do my own Facebook Profile.

As for Twitter, I used to have a personal account (FireFleitz), but I haven’t updated that in years. I do all of my updating via FireCritic on Twitter.

I do enjoy the fact that you HAVE to be brief and concise when using Twitter, but I also like the ability to hold more in-depth conversations on Facebook.

What do you think?

Do you use Facebook?

Do you use Twitter?

Which do you prefer and why?

Posted by The Fire Critic on June 16, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Social Media, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Facebook, Facebook vs. Twitter, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Firenews.net, IronFiremen.com, Jeff Harkey, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Twitter, Twitter vs. Facebook, Willie Wines Jr.

The Best Fire, EMS, Rescue, and Haz Mat iPhone and Android Apps

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Below you will find the names of most of the top Fire/EMS smart phone applications (Apps) as shared by the readers on the Fire Critic Facebook page. I did not share the links, because most are found on either your iphone or Android marketplaces. All you have to do is use the terms below to search for them on your phone. Not all of them have a dedicated web site.

Feel free to add more in the comments! Which apps do you use?

Fire

IAFF Procal
FireEng. Field Officer Guide
Fire Rescue 1
Firefighter Log
NIMS ICS
Fire Officer
Fire officer field guide
CommandSim
Oncallff
Fire Academy
Fire alert
Fireground 360
Fire Command Worksheet
EZ-shift
Leaky nozzle firehouse scheduler
The Firefighter Pocketbook
iPAR Fire (iPAR Fire Lite)

Staffing/Paging/Scheduling

Firehouse Scheduler
Mass Incident Paging
fire shifts
fd shift calendar
Resgrid

Friction Loss/Pumping

FLcalc
firepump
Calculator for pump ops
911 Toolkit
Two Tone Detect: Not an app but a computer program called two tone detect. Records the page outs from my scanner and sends an audio file to my phone via text or email.

Dispatch

Cadpage
ScannerRadio
Active911

Rescue

CMC Rescue Guide
Hybrid Excrication Guide
Extrication Zones Pro
Extricate
knot guide
TEEX Swiftwater
ExtractionPro
rescue knots
QRG

EMS

Resuscitation
FiRST
IED
Critical
InforMed
PediSTAT
SafeDose
Micromedix
Med Toolkit
EMT
Medibabble
Merck Manual
Diagnosaurus
NEOtube
ER Res.
Itriage
Easy PCR
EMS Assist
State Protocols under iBook
Wiser (wiser for iOS)
Epocrates
PEPID
ECG Guide
Critical Care ACLS Guide
EMS ALS Guide
EMS BLS Guide
ReUnite

Haz Mat

NAERG
Hazmat Guide
Drager Gas Detection
Hazmat Evac
2012 ERG
Chem Safety
Cargo Decoder
placard +
Mobile REMM

General

Google Translator
iTranslate
Dropbox
Army Mountaineering

Weather/Mapping

RadarScope
WeatherTapZoom
Myradar
Google Earth
iMap Weather Radio

Games

Emergency

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 6, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, EMS Topics, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters Guide, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, HazMat, News, Patient Management, Safety, Social Media, Special Operations, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Android, Applications, EMS, EMS Apps, EMT, Facebook, Fire, Fire Apps, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Haz Mat Apps, iphone, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Simulators, Smart Phone Apps, Social Media, Training, Willie Wines Jr.

This Probably Isn’t the Best Idea. Firefighters Perception Vs. Reality in Social Media

11 comments

I get it, some of us love being photographed while on the job. Hell, deep down inside we all would probably love to be on the cover of a magazine in a great photo while making a rescue off the balcony of a 3rd story apartment while flames lick over our heads…but that probably won’t happen. If you are lucky enough to be a firefighter in an area where there are fire buffs, you have a greater opportunity of being seen in photos or youtube videos that are shared right here on FireCritic.com.

And then there are some of us who attempt to make it happen ourselves.

I cannot speak for what is actually going on in this photo, I can only speak on what is perceived to be happening. Perception often trumps reality in situations like this.

The photo as seen on TheChive.com

The photo to the right was shared on TheChive.com, a popular site for men and women that share funny, sexy, and odd photos and video. Pictures of firefighters are a common occurrence on the site and firefighters seem to love it. I check it out a couple of times a week to see what is new.

The picture is hosted here. The whole set of images is here.

The problem with the photo is that it doesn’t paint the best picture of this firefighter, the FD of the firefighter in the photo, or the potential neglect of duties while posing for the photo.

The perception is that this firefighter stopped to take a photo during a house fire that is obviously not under control.

The reality COULD be that this is a training burn and this firefighter is not actively needed at the time, he takes a minute to have someone else snap the picture.

The truth could be something totally different.

Which one do you think it is?

My point here is not to hang this firefighter out to dry. If you think that me publishing his picture here is exposing him, I assure you that TheChive.com has a far larger reach than my blog.

My point is to bring attention to perception vs. reality when we are in the public view. Sharing a picture like this is potentially harmful to the firefighter, the fire department, and fire service in general. Even if it seems harmless to us, we should sit back and think about the perception that others will have of our photos and video.

We need to be a little more careful of what we are sharing online, and how we are acting on the fireground.

Carry on…

- The Fire Critic

Posted by The Fire Critic on February 27, 2013 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, News, Photos, Social Media • Tagged: Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, IronFiremen.com, Perception vs. Reality, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, the chive, TheChive.com, Willie Wines Jr.

Video: Firefighter Tells Bystander He Can’t Record Car Fire on Video. Can He Do That? What do you Think?

4 comments

Video by cashews224. The video states “This was taken on February 13th, 2013, in Gloucester Virginia at the Ark Shell Station. The owner said the car was smelling funny so she pulled over and started smoking. I would have filmed the rest but the argument continued with the firefighter. He was saying that if I wasn’t a police officer, firefighter or owner of the vehicle, it was illegal for me to film the incident; which is false. Any person can film any event legally without consent by anyone.”

As a firefighter, do you waste your time getting bystanders to turn off their cameras?

Do you think it is illegal for bystanders to record events?

If you do think it is illegal, do you think Firefighters have the authority to stop it?

Posted by The Fire Critic on February 14, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Fires, News, Social Media, Videos • Tagged: Car Fire, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Fireground Video, Gloucester, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Video, Virginia, Willie Wines Jr.

No One Wants to Work With Me!

1 comment

This is going to be one of those posts that piss some people off. That is not the intention. The reason for it is because it is unfortunate that these things happen.

My department is hiring…the physical test is being held (a couple of days last week and one day coming up). Along with our department, two other departments are also hiring and many of the applicants are pooled into one list (depending on the departments they applied to). We have had less than 100 applicants pass the physical test. In all, from what I hear, there have been somewhere around 200 applicants show up for the CPAT test. Between the 2-3 departments, around two dozen will be hired. How do you like those odds.

I admit, my numbers could be off. I feel as though my source is reliable. I remember when there were hundreds who applied when I was hired. I don’t have an exact number, but the odds were much worse than a 1/5 chance of behind hired.

One of two things are failing here. If it isn’t one, it is the other. However, it could be both. There is no other reason for the poor turnout.

Recruitment – Are we even recruiting at all? Statistics would show that we are not. 200 people? That is pitiful. Maybe no one knows we are testing.
Perception – Maybe no one wants to work in these departments.

Let me elaborate…

Recruitment

Are we recruiting? I do not know. I like to think we are, but it isn’t apparent by the numbers of applicants we are generating. We obviously need to do more. Do potential applicants even know we are hiring? My department lists hiring as concurrent or ongoing. Since we switched to this format, I have not seen any advertised date of the application process ending. I have heard from more than one person who has applied only to find out the process ended months ago and they would have to wait a year for the next.

We should be listing our hiring process with a hard date of the application process ending. That should be advertised anywhere and everywhere. I would be proud to list it right here on FireCritic.com if I knew the dates.

Furthermore, we should be sharing this information on social media for all to see. I looked at the Facebook page of our department and did not see an announcement recently for hiring. The woman who updates our FB page does a great job…but maybe she is spread to thin. She has a multitude of responsibilities. Maybe she needs help.

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen advertising in the past, and I am not on the committee so I don’t know all they do. By all appearances, we could be much more effective.

Perception

If the problem isn’t with recruitment, it is with perception. My department is a great Fire/EMS Department. We have issues just like every other one. We are not perfect, but we get the job done very well. Our best asset is our personnel.

The economy has taken its toll on our pay and benefits just like many others. We fight on to be the best.

Our morale isn’t the best, but it could be a lot worse.

We are an urban department with all the good and bad that comes with working in State that doesn’t have annexation. There is no comparison of us to similar Cities in our neighboring State of North Carolina where the Cities are thriving on growth through annexation.

I wonder if our perception is the problem though. In our State, we compete for candidates with departments like Richmond (FD only, EMS is separate), Fairfax County (pay and benefits are among the many things that far exceed ours), Chesterfield and Henrico are other Counties that have many better facets than us, Cities in the Eastern part of the State that are probably similar but there are more to choose from. Locally, we are competing with brand new departments like Botetourt County, Franklin County, and Bedford County. All of these offer similar benefits with a much lower work load.

So maybe perception is that potential candidates would rather work elsewhere. If they only knew how much I loved my career, my department, my life. I truly do, even with all of the good and bad mixed in. After all, it is what we make of it…and I am making the best of it.

Then again, maybe I am the problem. Maybe I should offer to help out. After all, I would be happy to help out. The problem is that historically, when someone like me offers to help out, our ideas get swept under the rug. Later, it will become someone else’s idea; or the idea will just be stupid because of who offered it.

I am happy to walk the walk instead of simply talking the talk on here.

Am I alone? Does anyone else have this issue in their department?

Should I call my Chief and offer to help?

Posted by The Fire Critic on December 12, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, News, Social Media • Tagged: Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Hiring, IronFiremen.com, Perception, Recruitment, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Willie Wines Jr.

Wanna Hear Dave Statter and I Talk? Sign up now! Newark, Ohio Here We Come!

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In May, you will get the first chance to see Dave Statter and I speak under the same roof. Imagine the roof on that building that it can fit our egos in one building. Dave and I have teamed up to present on communications in the digital age. Dave will offer a boring talk on the fun stuff, I will offer a fun talk on the boring stuff. Dave thinks Willie and I are going to pick him up on the way…we are actually going to see if he is able to thumb his way to Ohio!

If we lose the crowd, Willie is going to push me into Dave and we will start a fight…either way it should be one heck of an event!

2012 Leadership Conference in Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark, Ohio
May 23-24, 2012
Presented by the Ohio Fire & Emergency Services Foundation

Sign up here

May 23rd:

Dave and I will be presenting “Effective Communications in a Digital Age” on May 23rd. Presented by: Rhett Fleitz and Dave Statter. This all day session will focus on the nuts and bolts of how to use the two most popular social media platforms: Facebook and Twitter. To be effective in communicating today, an organization must use both.

Rhett Fleitz, from FireCritic.com, is a Roanoke, Virginia lieutenant who has been using digital platforms (Internet, social media) in connection with the fire service longer than most anyone. In the fire service for 15 years, Lt. Fleitz is a member of the IAFF and won a 2nd place IAFF Media Award. He is also a published author and blogger with experience helping others start their own blogs and websites. Rhett has done a number of presentations around the country including FDIC, Kean College in New Jersey and most recently at a symposium in Kenton County, Kentucky.

Dave Statter, from STATter911.com, brings his audience fire & EMS news from the Washington, D.C. area, around the country and around the world. He spent 38 years in broadcasting as a television and radio reporter. In his youth he had been a volunteer firefighter, fire department dispatcher and a cardiac rescue technician in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

May 24th:

On May 24th, attendees will get to hear Lt. Steve Robertson (Columbus Ohio Division of Fire) present “Risk vs. Benefit! Critical Decision Making in Firefighter Safety and Survival”. Presented by: Lt. Steve Robertson Columbus Ohio Division of Fire. This course will review incidents where critical decisions were made and how these decisions affected the outcome. Students will also receive valuable tools to make the right decisions in critical situations. The class will also discuss the safety culture within the fire service and how the lack of accountability along with the sense of entitlement is having a detrimental effect on our job. Only WE can reduce line of duty deaths.

Steve Robertson has been in the fire service for 22 years, the last 19 with the Columbus Ohio Division of Fire. He is a state certified Fire Safety instructor and paramedic and a member of the USAR Central Ohio Strike Team. In addition, Steve is an instructor for Rapid Intervention Training and Associates and has taught rapid intervention nationally. Steve currently serves as a Relief Officer in the 1st Battalion

Posted by The Fire Critic on February 13, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media • Tagged: Dave Statter, EMS, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, IronFiremen.com, Newark Ohio, Ohio Fire & Emergency Services Foundation, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Steve Robertson, Willie Wines Jr.

South Bend Firefighter Demoted for Taking Cell Phone Video

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A South Bend Firefighter has been demoted for taking a video of a recent fire with his cell phone.

The report does not state whether or not the “impromptu video” took away from a task the firefighter was completing. When I teach/present on social media, I always remind the guys/gals that they are firefighters, not reporters. They should leave the reporting up to others. I am also a huge proponent of taking pictures of your crew when the job is done.

I wonder at what point this video was taken. Was it really worthy of demotion?

I would also love to see the Facebook Policy for South Bend.

ABC57:

“As far as the punishments, the union doesn’t dole those out, that is an administration thing. Our job is to make sure that it is fair and equitable from member to member,” Kottkamp.

Through documents obtained by ABC 57 News and through close sources with the fire department, that is not the case. Several firefighters have gone unpunished for violating the same Facebook policy, including an instance back in 2010, where a firefighter posted an internal email to his Facebook page, followed by snide remarks. Yet, no action was taking against him.

Back in September, South Bend’s Facebook policy was in the news:

The South Bend Fire Department was supposed to implement a new Facebook policy Today but the local firefighters’ union has stepped in voicing serious concerns over the new social networking policy.

The union says the new policy is violating the firefighters’ First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. Read more

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 25, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media, Videos • Tagged: cell phone camera, EMS, EMT, Facebook, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Fireground Video, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Social Media in the Fire Service, South Bend Fire Department, South Bend Indiana, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Tehran, Iran Aghdasyeh Firefighters Apparently Don’t have Regulations for Camera Use on Scene

3 comments

As best as I can tell, this video is from Aghdasyeh or Aghdasieh (Persian: اقدسیه, also spelled Aghdassieh) which is north of Tehran, Iran. I apologize if my geography is off a little.

This video is taken by either a passenger in a fire apparatus or an actual firefighter. Apparently, they don’t have any regulations on the use of video cameras on scene.

Fast forward to the 2:50 mark and you will see what I am talking about.

Whatever you do, do not do this in the States! While it is not clear if the victim is deceased or not, we have HIPAA regulations preventing us from sharing a video such as this without getting in trouble. Most of us also have policies on using cameras on scene.

If indeed this is a firefighter, what use is it to have a firefighter on scene merely taking video? There is a small chance that this persons assignment is to take video, but by the mere fact that this video was uploaded to youtube negates that. No department should post a video like this one.

Posted by The Fire Critic on December 21, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media, Videos • Tagged: Aghdasieh, Aghdasyeh, Camera, Camera usage, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Iran, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Tehran, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Social Media Discipline During Firefighter Injury or LODD

3 comments

Today I got a great question about utilization of social media in regards to firefighter injuries and Line of Duty Deaths.

The question:

What are you seeing with departments in regards to attempting to control what goes out by their members in regards to LODD and serious injuries?
A little background behind my question. In 2008 I was transported to the hospital from a fire scene. Prior to getting to the hospital someone in the dept sent a text message out identifying who was going to the hospital. Radio discipline was fantastic and never said who or what unit or anything, but the text was sent and there were people waiting at the hospital. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and we have a firefighter go to the hospital with chest pains and this time there are facebook pages popping up before he gets to the hospital. I know that we can’t control the buffs who listen 24/7/365 and seem to know what I had for lunch before I have it. But what are some of the things you are seeing out there?

Instead of simply sending him an answer, I figured it would be a perfect idea for an article and am writing my response below.

The short answer for the last part of that question is that unfortunately we are seeing too many people share too much information too early. At the very least, firefighters should keep their mouths shut until the department makes a formal release on the situation.

You might also get some insight on this very topic recently discussed about the shooting incident at Virginia Tech. Read about that here.

First of all, you have to understand that web sites and blogs share information they get on the subject of firefighter injuries and LODD’s when they occur. For the most part (and my personal protocol) we DO NOT disclose names until they are disclosed by the department officially. Often (and I think Dave Statter would agree), we are provided names and details far sooner than the department is prepared to disclose the information. We rely on the department to disclose this information officially, and even then many of the details are not shared on our sites because they are too raunchy, disrespectful, unofficial, and not necessary for everyone to know.

Department procedure for disclosing information

Departments should have procedure established for disclosing information via one source. Whether that is the Public Information Officer (PIO), Fire Marshal, Fire Chief, City/County Official, Police Department, or other delegate, the information should be shared from one source. Administration should make it clear that once the information gathering begins, the gathered information should be accumulated with the same process and remain local to the department. This information can then be dissected and only the facts pertinent to the incident worthy sharing with the public should be made known to the public. This information should be agreed upon by more than one person (possibly senior or executive staff including legal counsel). One of the biggest criteria for disclosure of information regards the involved party(s) family. Basically, you have a duty to make sure that the family has had ample time to notify their entire family members and that the family is ready for the news to be shared. As for the details to be shared, that is going to be done case by case. There could be potential issues regarding arson, death, other injuries, crimes, etc. including input and concerns from other departments such as legal counsel and police offices.

This includes controlling the use of names in radio traffic. Keep in mind, I can listen to hundreds of departments radio traffic as long as I have an internet connection.

The important thing to remember here is that the department controls the information. The department can always disclose more information later. They CANNOT take back any information they share once it is shared.

Controlling social media

News will be shared. Speculation will exist. Rumors will fly. Departments will only be able to control legitimate information shared in a professional manner. I mean that if a news organization shares bad information, the department can call them and clear the air. However, if an eye witness shares bad information it will more than likely be outside the ability to control that information. The control of information on social networks might be frustrating, but utilization of the format above and below can and will help!

Controlling firefighter reporters

If a firefighter is injured or killed within your department it is not your duty, responsibility, or need to share that information. Let the department share the information. I don’t mean you cannot discuss it within your company, but there is no need to post anything on Facebook until your department discloses that information.

One thing I was disciplined during recruit school was that I am a firefighter. Not a reporter, not a source for information. I am not allowed speaking with news crews unless I am told to or given permission by a superior. I was taught it, I learned it, I follow it.

Not all firefighters are taught that unfortunately.

Do yourself, your department, your brother and sister firefighters, and the ones involved a favor and keep your mouth shut. If asked about a name or details, just tell them you don’t know or you cannot tell. It is not your responsibility.

Don’t text, don’t update anything on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, web sites, or anything else. Even putting up a little bit of information can become a headache. For instance, if you were to put an update about “Keep our department in your prayers during this time” can create a whirlwind of people asking what is going on. With those questions comes other people answering them who could be thousands of miles away looking for information and sharing it on your status update without a care in the World if the information is accurate or legitimate.

This is about respect, right vs. wrong, and discipline. (Remember Willie and my motto: Respect, Honor, Tradition, Pride, Brotherhood).

Trust me, when a firefighter is injured or dies in the Line of Duty, people are looking for information. Everyone wants to know what is going on, who is involved, how did it happen, why did it happen, etc. Depending on the severity of the incident, Departments might be getting hounded by local news, National news, organizational leaders, etc.

Plus, people will want to come help. In order for them to establish the event warrants their response they want to know what is going on.

Summary:

If you are senior level in your department you have a duty to disclose certain information in a timely manner once the information is prepared and the party(s) involved are ready for the information to be shared.

If you are a member of a department when serious injury or death occurs within your department… Respect your brother and sister firefighters by keeping your information to yourself and allow your administration to do their jobs.

Posted by The Fire Critic on December 15, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media • Tagged: EMS, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Willie Wines Jr.

Great article on Smartphone Apps for Firefighters

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I have written about smartphone apps in the past, but FireRescue1 has an article with many more…and plenty of information on them.

Some of the applications are free, others cost money.

What applications do you use?

What about your department?

Check out the article on FireRescue1 as well as another list in the comments of that article.

Posted by The Fire Critic on November 16, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Social Media • Tagged: Applications, Apps, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, FireRescue1, FireRescue1.com, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Smartphone, Smartphone Apps, Social Media, Willie Wines Jr.

Social Media in the Fire Service: Catch the Class in New Jersey Soon!

1 comment

I will be in New Jersey teaching about Social Media in the Fire Service at the end of the month. Willie Wines Jr. will be traveling with me, but he will only make it to the second class. He will be in New York City with Zach Green of MN8 Products (Foxfire) hanging out with some of the guys/gals from the FDNY. I will rendezvous with them in NYC in the evenings.

My goal with these classes are to make them as interactive as possible. I enjoy questions and helping others understand social media and what it can do for them and their companies, departments, organizations, and even personal networking!

There is still room in the classes if you want to attend.

To register:

Registration is through myNewJersey, the state’s website. The registration instructions are on page3 of the Fall 2011 Course Brochure. Here is a link to the brochure:

http://www.keanfiresafety.com/PDFs/Fall2011CourseBook.pdf

If you are from out of State, you might be able to skip the online registration. Contact me and I will put you in touch with them.

Here are the places and times I will be teaching. The actual name of the class is “Social Media: Fire Service’s Next Biggest Innovation”.

Rhett Fleitz teaching social media at FDIC 2011

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 8am
Morris County Firefighter and Police Training Academy
500 West Hanover Ave
Parsippany, NJ 07950

And

Friday, October 28, 2011 at 8am
Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center
53 Academy Dr
Westampton (Mt Holly), NJ 08060

The class focuses on getting started as well as how to utilize social media. I will also be focusing on what not to do with social media and how to keep from making some mistakes others have made.

Willie and I will be making a cannonball run up and back, but might have some time to stop in to some Fire Departments if you want to meet up.

Posted by The Fire Critic on October 18, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Social Media, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: EMS, Facebook, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, Fire Service Social Media, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, IronFiremen.com, Kean University, Policy on Social Media, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Social Media in the Fire Service, Social Media Policy, Social Media Policy for Firefighters, Social Media Training, Twitter, Willie Wines Jr.

Top Ten Advertising and Marketing Ideas for Fire, EMS, and Police Markets

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This advertising and marketing advice is applicable to businesses, products, departments, start-ups, establishing a name for themselves or their brand, or continuing to saturate the market with their brand name. Whether you are big or small, there is something out there for you.

The question isn’t whether to advertise or not, it is when and how you will advertise. How else are people supposed to know who you are?

I have seen many companies spend a ton of money on advertising and marketing campaigns. Some of those campaigns have paid out in huge dividends, but others have wasted money on campaigns that missed the mark. I have also been a part of creating creative campaigns for my brands that have been on a shoe-string budget.

Below are what I feel are the top ten advertising and marketing ideas for products in the firefighting, emergency medical services, and law enforcement fields. Consider these ideas, and that an actual “campaign” might involve one or more of these ideas implemented concurrently or consecutively to create a buzz about a brand or product.

In viewing these ideas, consider time spent on the idea, money spent on the idea, and the ability to understand and analyize the return on investment (ROI) as well as the ability to view progress of the idea or campaign. The list is in order from 10 to 1, 1 being the best in my eyes based on return of investment and not price-tag.

The scale is $-$$$$. The more the $ symbols the more the cost!

10. Print Advertising

Examples: Fire Engineering, Fire Rescue Magazine, Firehouse Magazine, JEMS, Police Magazine

Some might say it is old fashioned (I am one of them). Does print advertising have a value? YES. However, when compared to new media abilities and ideas, print marketing only provides “potential” reach and does not offer “actual” reach when analysing the value of the campaign once delivered. What I am saying is that when you purchase print marketing, the salesperson can tell you how many magazines will be delivered with your advertisement in it. They cannot tell you how many people will put their hands on it, nor how many times each person will put their hands on it. They also cannot tell you if the reader will actually flip to the page where your ad resides in a publication. Print advertising usually costs a pretty penny when talking about the leading market magazines. Although the less circulated event programs might be cheaper, you have to consider their potential reach. Other print advertising mediums: magazines, newsletters, catalogs, event programs $$$$

9. Facebook Ads

Marketing through facebook ads can serve one of two purposes. You can get traffic to your web site or you can get traffic to your Facebook fan page. Facebook fan pages are a great asset to create conversation between your brand and your fans. You can use your fan page to ask questions, draw attention to your web site, post products, get feedback, and communicate. Facebook ads are not very expensive. You can opt to pay by the impression or by the click. I have used both of these formats and have found them to be well worth the investment for the price. Of course, it is all about the image you use for your ad! You can control the demographics of the people the ad will appear in front of as well as the keywords that your ad will show on pages of (types of pages and users). $$

8. Online advertising on leading market web sites

Examples: Firehouse.com, FirefighterNation.com, FireRescue1.com, JEMS.com, PoliceOne.com

Web sites which lead the market in fire, EMS, and police substantiate their existence with advertising. It is what pays the bills. Many of these sites have accompanying print magazines, however they are run by separate teams…yes even the advertising team. Every one of these web sites offers many different types of online advertising like ad banners, text links, product articles, and newsletter advertising. Most also incorporate advertising on their Facebook fan pages as well. Advertising with the conglomerates can be costly, but they have the a lot of reach. A huge benefit of online advertising with these web sites is the ability to track click-throughs, impressions, and conversions. These sites are National or even International in reach with readers all over the World. Don’t let that dissuade you if you are looking for advertising in a specific region, State, or even Country though. Most of these web sites should have the ability to run ads for users from areas you want to reach. $$$

7. Link advertising

Basically, we are talking about a text link on other web sites. Typically, this will mean in an article, post, or links page or sidebar. The easiest way to get this done is to trade links. Put up a link to other sites and then email them and ask for a reciprocal link. If you don’t have a links page, or want to increase the chances of having that text link appear on other sites, you could offer some money to have your link appear. The price for the link will depend on the popularity of the page you are trying to get a link on. Free to $

6. Online advertising in market blogs (individual blogs)

Examples: STATter911.com, IronFiremen.com, FireCritic.com, HappyMedic.com, MotorCopblog.com

This is where I think more and more companies should be looking to advertise and connect. The reason is because companies can connect with individual bloggers and web site administrators forming a relationship. It is more feasible to formulate a campaign that hits directly what you want. Whether you want an ad banner, text ad, article written about your product, or something else you can speak with the writer directly and ask for what you want. Be aware though, most bloggers will entertain writing an article about a product they DO NOT want to be told what to say. You have to realize that the bloggers/writers have an image to uphold. They do not want to be viewed as a sell out especially if they do not like your product. Start off with advertising on their site and ask to speak in the future about an article maybe. These bloggers have very low overhead, but like to make some money along the way. Most bloggers aren’t going to know their exact value when it comes to advertising. Be sure to check them out on Alexa or Compete.com to see what their traffic is. $

5. Product Reviews

Examples: FireCritic.com Reviews, Fire Rescue Magazine Gear Tests

Product reviews offer companies the ability to put a product in a writers hands and see what they think about it. If you have a great product, you have nothing to worry about. The review might bring up conversation about the product and feedback on it as well. Currently there aren’t many sources for product reviews. In all honesty (maybe a little bias), FireCritic.com offers probably the best market for product reviews for fire and EMS products. Many of the print magazines offer gear tests or product reviews, but I am unsure of the cost. Some of them might be syndicated on the accompanying web site for the printed magazine. Probably the easiest way to get a product reviewed is by contacting a reputable blogger in your market. Most bloggers will do a product review with the understanding that the blogger will get to keep the product once the review is completed. The bigger sites probably offer gear tests or product reviews as part of an advertising campaign and will cost money. In the future, the reviews at FireCritic.com will be available on a larger market with other bloggers involved. To view information on product reviews as well as past reviews right here on FireCritic.com click here. Free to $$ (depending on cost of product reviewed)

4. Marketing through Collective Buying web sites

Examples: Daily911Deals.com and Deals.FireRescue1.com

These types of web sites are new to the realm of public safety. They offer no up front cost marketing and target the markets in which the deals (products) are offered. The deals are offered in limited time and quantity. The deals are designed to attract new customers, referrals, and market the brand. The deals are shared among others via social media. Businesses control the terms, quantity, and price of the deals. While this is new to the fire, EMS, and police markets, it is a HUGE market outside and was made popular by companies like Groupon and Living Social. As the trend continues, the benefits of using collective buying sites will increase. These sites make money on a percentage of the vouchers sold. Depending on the deal, the company might take a loss on the sale of the product. What it is important to realize is that the marketing reach has a value that the company is not paying for up front. Even if you take a $1 loss per item and sell 100 items to 100 individuals, the marketing campaign only cost $100 and you received 100 new customers, their email addresses, and sold products. That is cheap! $

3. Online Contests

Contests are a great way to increase your reach. Whether it is a twitter contest, Facebook contest, or contest on your web site you can create a buzz around a product. If you plan on running a Facebook contest, sure to research Facebook’s rules for running contests before you dive in though. There are companies available to help you run contests and increase your reach and effectiveness of a contest. Twitter contests revolve around people retweeting and following you to enter. It is a great way to get people to retweet your username and increase followers. I have found twitter contests to drastically increase my number of followers. Sure, some will unfollow you once the contest is over, but not many. $-$$ depending on the prizes

2. Online advertising in local web sites

Examples: FireNews.net, PhillyFireNews.com, VAFireNews.com

Local could be a City, region, or State. There are many web sites which specialize in information for “local” users. The topics and information is catered to the area in which the web site services. These web sites have smaller reach than National or International web sites. However, this can be very beneficial to certain campaigns because the cost will be lower and the reach is concentrated on certain areas. For instance, if you are a company in Virginia you might want to focus your advertising on users from just that State. VAFireNews.com focuses on news and information for Virginia (call me biased as I also run VAFireNews.com). These sites have lower overhead than the larger conglomerates and are often run by one person or a small team. They can offer lower prices and should because their reach and traffic is not the same as larger web sites.$-$$

1. Online Ad Networks

Examples: Emergency Services Ad Network (ESAN), EMSBlogs.com, PSCLicks.com

These ad networks have a lot of reach depending on the amount of sites their ads appear on. The bonus here is that the ads appear on all kinds of sites. They might include fire, EMS, and police sites. The sites might also include leading market web sites, blogs, forums, and message boards. Be sure and ask where else your ad might be able to be incorporated. ESAN ads appear on some of the best fire and EMS blogs, fire and EMS local web sites, and FirefighterNation.com. I have used advertising on ESAN numerous times and have always been happy with the campaign. EMSBlogs.com offers advertising on their blogs which includes some great EMS blogs. PSClicks.com offers text and banner advertising. $-$$$

Another online ad network worth mentioning is Google Ads.

Google ads are very similar to Facebook Ads. You choose the keywords you want your ad to run with and your ad (either text or banner) will appear on those pages of search terms or other web sites. In order for your ad to appear on a site outside of google search they have to be using google ads on their site. For the money, it is well worth a try, but there are better avenues for ensuring your ads are running on sites related to the content you want your ad showing up on. $$

Posted by The Fire Critic on October 12, 2011 • Filed under: News, Social Media, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

Social Media and FireCritic.com…The Big Picture

6 comments

This article serves two purposes:

To help the readers understand what information is shared and where it is shared.
To help other bloggers learn how to engage, share, and grow their social media networks.

FireCritic.com is a hybrid blog and social experience. The blog doesn’t quite fit in to a specific category like many other blogs. Other blogs might be lumped into training, news, or personal categories yet the Fire Critic fits all of these. In addition, I pay close attention to my Fire Critic Facebook fan page and Twitter. A lot of the information from the blog is shared on Facebook and Twitter, but there is even more updates on the two than on the blog.

Some people don’t like the moniker “blog” and would rather use the name “web site”. It doesn’t matter to me. To fully understand what the Fire Critic is, you should follow along on Twitter and the Fire Critic Facebook fan page as well. Various readers engage the Fire Critic in different ways. Some twitter followers might not visit FireCritic.com, likewise some Facebook fans might not follow along on Twitter.

Work-flow of FireCritic.com:

Blog posts are automatically shared on Twitter (I use twitterfeed.com)
Blog posts are manually added to the Fire Critic Facebook fan page. This is not automatic so I can customize the update and control the time of publish on Facebook.
Fire Critic Facebook fan page updates are automatically shared on Twitter (through connecting Facebook to Twitter under page settings)

I also have a facebook fan page box on my sidebar of FireCritic.com

Since the Fire Critic Facebook fan page automatically updates to twitter, anytime I add photos, updates, or most anything else it posts to twitter without me having to do a thing. I used to use Networked Blogs App on Facebook, but I would rather do it manually to customize the text and thumbnail. I have found this to be more beneficial than the automatic update via Networked Blogs.

FireCritic.com the Blog

FireCritic.com is a fire service blog. Probably ranked within the top 10 fire service blogs in the U.S., the blog offers news, product reviews, humor, videos, training, and links to other great information on the web. Consider it controlled chaos, I write about whatever comes to mind, whatever stories are going on, and anything else I think up. Many other bloggers have shared information through FireCritic.com and I do not mind sharing information I find useful to my readers. Readers can comment on blog posts and I try to answer any and all questions as well as engage others on the site.

The Fire Critic Facebook Fan Page

The home of FireCritic.com on Facebook. I share the links to posts on FireCritic.com, engage readers about other news, stories, and information. If I have a story that has a lot of pictures, I will typically add a photo album on Facebook where they can view the complete set of pictures. Others are welcome to post on The Fire Critic Facebook fan page as well. I welcome the conversation and I am always looking for good stuff to read. Currently I have 1505 fans and I hope to increase that number every day!

Fire Critic on Twitter

This is where it can get fun, interesting, and weird. My Twitter @FireCritic account is fairly popular for being in such a small niche. As I said before, my posts on FireCritic.com and my status updates on my Facebook fan page are automatically fed to my Twitter account. Yeah, I know some people just don’t get twitter. I say it is a great tool in connecting with readers. Think of it as texting without having to give out your phone number. I add dozens of stories each day to my Twitter account 24/7 that you won’t see on FireCritic.com or the Fire Critic Facebook fan page. The sharing of information is ideal. Plus, you might be lucky and be following me during one of the few times I drink and tweet (happens a handful of times a year)…things get real interesting then! I monitor twitter off and on throughout the day. Currently I have 2044 followers on twitter. That number fluctuates through the day. Typically in a given week I will gain about 30 new followers and lose up to 10. Losing followers is normal because there are so many people who follow and unfollow just to try to get people to follow them without following back. The easiest way to get me to follow you is by retweeting on of my tweets, mentioning me, or asking me a question. I try to follow anyone who does any of the three of these. The reason is simple. I use Tweetdeck on my computer and they make it easy to follow others so I don’t have to actually log into Twitter to see who is following me.

Google +

I admit that I am a newbie to Google +. I have created a personal account, but I don’t think you can create business accounts yet. I am learning as I go. I think there will be value in Google +, there just isn’t enough for me to spend a lot of time on it yet.

Engaging others is what it is all about. I use other forms of social media too. The ones listed above are the ones I spend the most time on.

What works for you? How can I improve? Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions on how I set up any of the automatic feeds between twitter, facebook, or the blog let me know!

Now hurry up and connect with me on the Fire Critic Facebook fan page and Twitter if you haven’t already!

Posted by The Fire Critic on September 28, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Must Read, News, Social Media, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: EMS, Facebook, Facebook for Firefighters, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, FireCritic, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Google, Google Plus, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Twitter, Twitter for Firefighters

Nashville FD Paramedic Suspended after Anti-Gay Comment on Facebook

3 comments

Guys, Guys, Guys…Have we not learned ANYTHING in the past couple of years? What you say on Facebook DOES NOT stay on Facebook! What you say in your social media networks can and will be seen by others. Social media is such a powerful tool and must be used correctly.

Every time I turn around, another firefighter or group of firefighters is learning their lesson about social media.

However, Facebook isn’t the problem…the problem is with the firefighters.

Kevin Kennedy will participate in anger managment and diversity training as well as suspension without pay after anti-gay facebook comments. Photo from Tennessean.com

Take for instance, the latest “prank” in Macon-Bibb, Georgia. The problem was only made worse by posting it on youtube. The actual root of the problem is that firefighters thought this type of “prank” was ok. It was not.

In the case this post is about, a Nashville Fire Department paramedic, Kevin Kennedy, thought the following was acceptable:

The department was notified on Aug. 3 that Kennedy stated on his Facebook page and on a Nashville Fire Department Emergency Medical Services page that two EMS workers were “queers” and that they should “crawl back into the closet,” said Deputy Chief Kim Lawson, spokeswoman for the department. From the Tennessean.com read more

Making the comment was not acceptable. Posting it on Facebook for everyone to see was also not acceptable. Has this guy lost his marbles? Not only did he put it on his profile page, but he followed up with it on a Facebook page for the Nashville Fire Department Emergency Medical Services…

Quit giving the brave men and women who make up the Fire Service a bad name.

Kennedy has been suspended without pay and will have to attend an anger management program and diversity training.

Kennedy is a 20 year veteran of the department and has the option to appeal his discipline.

Posted by The Fire Critic on September 20, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Social Media • Tagged: EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Kevin Kennedy, Nashville Fire Department, Nashville Fire Department Emergency Medical Services, Paramedic, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media

Kilted to Kick Cancer

6 comments

Have you heard of Kilted to Kick Cancer yet? Don’t worry if you haven’t, it is fairly new to me as well. That is why I am writing about it. To spread the word.

Kilted to Kick Cancer is about awareness of prostate cancer. All you have to do is wear your kilt during the month of September. Kilted to Kick Cancer is not looking for your money. If you have money to give, they do have several places you might want to donate to on their site KiltedToKickCancer.org

More than likely, I will probably not be taking part in actually wearing a kilt because I do not own one. However, I plan on getting one soon to wear. I am certain you will be hearing more about Kilted to Kick Cancer in the future…Happy Medic and MotorCop wouldn’t have it any other way!

They will be at EMS World Expo in Vegas around the same time I am at Fire Rescue International in Atlanta.

Feel free to send in photos of you in your kilts. I will post them here…or you could just put them on the FC Facebook page.

Seriously, can you see me in a kilt?

More information:

Press Release:

INDUSTRY BLOGGERS, companies KILT UP TO KICK prostate CANCER

Kilted to Kick Cancer official artwork by Norm Quiros

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.

– Magnum Boots USA and Alt.Kilt have partnered up with Bloggers Motorcop and The Happy Medic to raise awareness for male-specific cancer during September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of the campaign, better known as Kilted to Kick Cancer, is to encourage men to take control of their health and get screened for cancer.

For the entire month of September, the Happy Medic (Justin Schorr) and Motorcop (Anonymous) will be wearing kilts everywhere they go when off-duty. With the help of Magnum Boots USA and Alt.Kilt, Motorcop and the Happy Medic are taking the topic by storm through the likes of social media, particularly Twitter and Facebook. Since both are first responders by trade, it only made sense to kick off the campaign at EMS World Expo in Las Vegas at the end of August.

“When a man walks into a room wearing a kilt, everyone has the same question… what’s he got on under there?” said Motorcop, a law enforcement officer who blogs anonymously at motorcopblog.com. “Our aim for September is to bring as much awareness to male-specific risk factors for prostate and testicular cancer as we can. What better way to get the attention of others than through kilts?”

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. The older a man is, the more likely he will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. A man with a father or brother who developed prostate cancer is twice as likely to develop the disease.

“For men in the U.S., the risk of developing prostate cancer is 17%,” said Justin Schorr, known to most online as the blogger behind TheHappyMedic.com. “Motorcop and I, along with Magnum and Alt.Kilt, want to do our part to help reduce any stigma and fears behind this disease – and more importantly, the screening process. If that means dressing up in our Magnum duty boots and a kilt for the entire month of September to get people talking, then we’re all for it.”

Other risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer include tall height, lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle, high calcium intake, African-American race and family history. For more info on Prostate Cancer, visit www.pcf.org.

“Our goal is to talk to as many men as we can and get them to get their butt – pun intended – to the doctor,” said Schorr, who encourages others to don their kilts this September and post photos online on the Kilted to Kick Cancer Facebook page, or on Twitter using the hashtag #KiltedtoKickCancer. “If you’ve got a Y-chromosome, and you’re 40 years or older, get yourself to a doctor and get an exam. It could save your life.”

About KILTED TO KICK CANCER

In light of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month this September, two bloggers, Motorcop (Anonymous) and The Happy Medic (Justin Schorr), are kilting up to kick cancer. For the entire month of September, the two bloggers will be wearing kilts from Alt.Kilt (whenever off duty) to raise awareness of deadly, male-specific cancers often overlooked by the public. The goal? Encourage men to take control of their health and get checked for cancer. For more details on this cause, visit www.kiltedtokickcancer.org. To learn more about the risks and symptoms of prostate cancer, please visit www.pcf.org.

About Magnum

Since 1982, Magnum has been providing high-performance tactical and service product with credibility second to none. It is the mission of Magnum to be the best in class by delivering unsurpassed product designed for its end user. Distributed in over 100 countries, Magnum attacks the marketplace with unmatched comfort, technology and value in uniform footwear and apparel used by law enforcement, military, fire/rescue, emergency medical, and service agencies around the world. For more information, visit us online: www.magnumboots.com.

ABOUT ALT.KILT

Since its conception in early 2006, Alt.Kilt has made a point of being personal. Our purpose is to provide functional, stylish and well-made kilts that are individually designed and custom built for each client. Each kilt we sell is made one at a time, from the pre-washing of the fabric to hand sewing the buttons. From our humble beginnings in Madison, WI, we have spent time and effort to create a handsome product that fulfills the needs and wants of our worldwide customer base. For more information, please visit us at http://www.altkilt.com.

Posted by The Fire Critic on August 21, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, News, Social Media • Tagged: Fire Critic, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Happy Medic, Justin Schorr, Kilted to Kick Cancer, Magnum Boots, MotorCop, Prostate Cancer, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Willie Wines Jr.

Where in the Heck is the Fire Critic?

6 comments

Great question…

Especially since my wife and children are both out of town this week. My wife is at the University of Kentucky in Lexington having pillow fights and panty raids at the Alpha Phi house. I wish I was there.

My children are at my parents house in Nashville.

As for me, I am sitting at home thinking about how I am going to use this HALL PASS my wife gave me. Just kidding, I would just be wasting my time.

Seriously, where have I been. Well I have good news and bad news.

The Bad News

I am no longer a part of Firefighter Netcast. The live firefighter radio show/network I built with John Mitchell is no longer co-hosted/co-owned/co-produced by me. I have too many things going on and I needed to lighten the load. So I handed over my part of Firefighter Netcast to John. It was not an easy decision, but one that I felt needed to be made.

Don’t worry, we will reunite at the NFFF Memorial this October.

The Good News

I have several things coming up that I am proud of…

Daily911Deals.com will be launching with deals this week! Woohoo. I have been working on this project for several months with Jeff Harkey. Needless to say, this has taken up most of my time outside of my job. Check us out on facebook subscribe and “like” the page!

Some more great news is that I will be teaching some more this year.

Fire Rescue International

I will be at FRI in Atlanta in a little over a week. Willie will be with me as well as Jeff Harkey. We cannot wait. Look for Willie in the MN8 Products booth. Jeff and I will be around as well.

We look forward to catching up with some of our brothers at John’s Creek Fire Department in Georgia as well. They read Willie’s blog, they would read mine but apparently mine is blocked from their browsers. I am working on a fix now! Let me know if this site is blocked by your station computers please!

9/11 Memorial Stair Climb

We will be climbing in Atlanta. If you are planning on climbing please let me know. I would love to catch up!

We are also planning on climbing at the stair climb in Greenbelt, Maryland on September 11th as well.

Several of my brothers will be climbing in the stair climb in Richmond, Virginia on September 11th as well.

Teaching Social Media in the Fire Service

At Fire Rescue International I won’t be teaching, but I will be facilitating a 90 minute discussion on social media. The discussion/conversation on Social Media and Incorporating Technology in the Workplace will be on Friday, August 26, 11:00 am-12:30 pm in the Firehouse Café. Thanks to Dave Statter for being busy!

At Kean University this upcoming semester I will be teaching two days. I am teaching on October 27th at Morris County Firefighter and Police Training Academy and on 28th at Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center. Willie is planning on joining me again this time around. We had a blast back in April in New Jersey!

I am still finalizing the opprotunity of teaching at the Northern Kentucky Officer and Leadership Symposium on November 11th. I will keep you posted.

That is what I have been up to and why you haven’t heard a lot from me in the past month or so. Don’t worry, I will be firing this thing back up more and more in the near future. I am also going to hit you with another side of the blog that is more reminicent of my days when I was blogging at RoanokeFire.com…just wait for that!

Posted by The Fire Critic on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: News, Social Media • Tagged: Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Social Media in the Fire Service, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Fire, EMS, and Police Bloggers are Becoming Spokespersons for Products and Services

5 comments

Every time I turn around there is a new company setting up shop in the Fire, EMS, and Police markets. These new and typically smaller businesses are doing their research. They are investing the time to create a social media rich marketing plan.

Larger businesses are doing the same, although this is probably in part because the marketing firms they are hiring use social media as much as they can. The firms see the value in it.

Willie Wines Jr. recently helped out in the MN8 Products booth at Firehouse Expo. Not only was he a huge draw, he blogged about it and was even seen kissing some babies!

Whether it is a small business with a small budget or a larger business with a large budget, they are basically doing the same thing… in theory.

Utilizing Facebook to connect with your customers is a vital marketing task that usually takes a skillful eye and many hours to stay on top of. Twitter is similar, however the reach is not as wide. That reach doesn’t matter though…you cannot pass up the opportunity to connect with a customer.

Bloggers are a key point in this connection. Why? That is simple…we have followers. Tribes, if you will. Most bloggers are connected to other bloggers and the whole social media thing is [BAM] connecting thousands of people!

Many bloggers are very connected with social media. Even so, many socially connected firefighters, EMT’s, and even some police officers who don’t blog in the beginning end up creating a blog in the end.

So what about this spokespersons claim I made in the title of this article?

Here is the thing…Fire,EMS, and Police don’t really have many ”Celebrities”. Outside of the Editor in Chiefs of our trade magazines or the women and men who teach at almost every event there aren’t many ultra-recognizable names in our fields. For the Firefighters you might think Bobby Halton, Tim Sendelbach, Billy Goldfeder, Rick Lasky, Alan Brunacini, for a couple of examples. Even then, my view is skewed because I write about some of these guys, have followed them for years, and recognize someone who knows what they are talking about when I see it. Those guys have put in decades of time teaching, creating, writing, and spreading the word of what they know. They have been there and done that. I know it, you know it, everyone SHOULD know it.

Again, what about the spokespersons claim in the title?

Companies want to spread the word of their products and services. They want to make it as affordable and effective as possible. Sure, having a picture of a big name celebrity firefighter holding the newest innovative product on a banner can have a positive effect on the product and company. But what is the reach? What is the cost?

Similarily compare print advertising to online advertising.

Does that person post about the product on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.? What is their reach? What is their cost?

This is where bloggers come in. Fire, EMS, and other Public Safety bloggers have reach that most companies do not realize. Thousands of loyal readers, thousands of facebook friends, thousands of facebook fan page “likes”, thousands of twitter followers. Each of those mediums feed to more and more people. A single blogger could have a reach of more than 10,000 people.

When I think of spokesperson, I don’t mean on television spots. I mean creating a working relationship between companies and bloggers.

Think of Zoll’s collaberation with Chronicles of EMS (ChroniclesofEMS.com). Justin Schorr, Mark Glencorse, Ted Setla and many more could be seen at the Zoll booth at conventions. I saw first hand how having these “celebrities” on hand really drew in a crowd. It seemed a lot more effective than just having the sales persons walking around in the booth all day. It gave people another reason to stop in and say hello. Hell, I did it.

Another example is Willie Wines Jr. (IronFiremen.com) being in the MN8 Products booth at Firehouse Expo. Willie will also be at the MN8 booth at Fire Rescue International. People come up to him all day long to meet him.

How does it work?

It is really this simple…Willie blogs about where he is going to be (advertising the company and/or product) and when people get to the conference they seek him out.

Sure, having busty tall blond booth babes works very well too. But that typically just gets guys to stop and stare for a little while. Having a personality that many people know prior to the show in your booth can be an even bigger draw. Plus, what do those booth babes know about your product? You probably gave them a 5 minute crash course on your product and expect them to be experts. Once they leave the show they aren’t going to write about the fun they had, the people they met, publish pictures from your booth, or any of that.

But it doesn’t have to be at exhibit halls only.

Product reviews, advertising on blogs, and simply communicating with bloggers are other ways to engage bloggers and make use of their social networks.

It is about connecting, networking, and working together.

More about this in the future!

As for bloggers, here are two steps you can do to increasing your branding and making it a little more personal…

Make sure your readers know who you are. Include a picture of yourself on your blog. Do you really want to be known as an avatar? Quit hiding behind your banner and logo.
Don’t shy away from who you are. If people want to know who it is being the blog let them know. After all, if you are writing about something shouldn’t you stand behind it.

Fire Critic Note:

If you have not “liked” Daily911Deals on facebook yet you are about to miss out. Head over to the facebook page and “like” us, then subscribe. The deals are starting soon! That is why I haven’t been writing much on FireCritic.com. Once we are live, I will be back to my normal posting!

Posted by The Fire Critic on August 8, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Social Media • Tagged: Chronicles of EMS, EMS, Facebook, Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Foxfire, Justin Schorr, Mark Glencorse, Mn8 Products, Offensive Attack, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Ted Setla, Twitter, Willie Wines Jr., Zoll

110 Floors for 343…Never Forget. Honor, Respect, Tradition

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Yesterday in Baltimore at Firehouse Expo, I participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.

Honor, Respect, Tradition, and Never Forgetting. Finishing the climb for the 343 was difficult but bearable.

I did it knowing there was water on the 1st, 16th, and 20th floor of the Hilton in Baltimore. I climbed 22 floors 5 times in full turnout gear. I did it with Willie Wines Jr., Kevin Totten, Jody McIntosh, Cory Patton, and Chris King. We did it together.

The difference between us and them was that we did it in honor of them. We did it without an airpack, without fear, without trepidation.

We did it to help others never forget.

They are the 343. 343 members of FDNY who climbed in full turnout gear to fight the fires and rescue the people of the World Trade Centers on September 11th.

They climbed with tools. They climbed knowing that they were in their coffin…a cinder block stairwell. Every floor harder and harder on their knees. Sweating, second thoughts about their calling. Sporting events, school meetings, barbecues, and normal lives left behind because they were there doing it… Never to return to their lives.

On that day, September 11th, they became a statistic.

But not to me. Not to the American Fire Service. Not to the Brotherhood.

And I never forgot. I will never forget. I remember where I was. I was on the job that day…but I was in a safer place, far from Ground Zero.

It is my duty and my conviction as a FIREFIGHTER to never forget.

Yesterday, at the 9/11 Memorial stair climb at Firehouse Expo I climbed for Martin McWilliams of Engine 22…and on that last lap, the last 22 floors I climbed for another fallen brother. Upon the reach of the top of our second to last lap I grabbed for a cup of water. I saw the photo of Raymond York of Engine 285. His picture had fallen off of the member climbing for him. I instantly picked it up and tossed it in my helmet band.

I climbed for those guys…Martin and Raymond…and for their 341 brothers who died on September 11th.

They had it harder than me. My climb pales in comparison to their climb. I will never have a climb as difficult as theirs.

But I climbed. We climbed. 323 people climbed for the fallen. Some of them being friends or relatives of the fallen. We climbed together, in remembrance, in honor, for respect of what they did, part of the tradition, and to NEVER FORGET.

Team 19 before the climb. Cory Patton, Kevin Totten, Jody McIntosh, Willie Wines Jr., Me, and Chris King.

…

My feelings

During the climb I stayed mostly silent. I focused on what they did and what I was doing for them. I tried to understand what they were going through.

When my calves burned I wondered if they ever felt that.

When I felt like I didn’t have anymore to sweat I wondered if it crossed their mind.

I never felt as though I couldn’t make it and I doubt they ever had a doubt themselves.

If you ever have a chance to participate in a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb I suggest you do it.

If you don’t think you can complete it call me and I will walk with you.

Do it for the honor of completing the climb for the 343. Do it for the respect you have for the fallen. Do it for the tradition of truly NEVER FORGETTING.

Thanks to ALL of the individuals who made the 9/11 stair climb possible… The Baltimore Inner Harbor Hilton, Baltimore City Fire Department, NFFF, and all who volunteered.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pay my respects.

Team 19 after the climb. Kevin Totten, Me, Cory Patton, Chris King, Willie Wines Jr., and Jody McIntosh.

Me and Tommy Warshaw with Willie Wines Jr. before the climb. Tommy was in team 3 and we have known each other for some time through twitter and facebook but met at the climb for the first time.

Posted by The Fire Critic on July 23, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Must Read, News, Social Media, Special Operations, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: 343, 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, Baltimore, Baltimore County, Carolina Fire Pages, Chris King, Collective Buying, Daily EMS Deals, Daily Fire Deals, Daily Police Deals, DailyEMSDeals, DailyEMSDeals.com, DailyFireDeals, DailyFireDeals.com, DailyPoliceDeals, DailyPoliceDeals.com, Emergency Medical Services, EMS, FDNY, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department of New York, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Firehouse Expo, Firenews.net, Group Buying, IronFiremen.com, Jeff Harkey, Kevin Totten, Law Enforcement, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, NFFF, Offensive Attack, Offensive Attack Inc., Paramedic, Rhett Fleitz, September 11, September 11 2001, September 11 memorial, September 11th, Social Media, Tommy Warshaw, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Amateur Videographer goes from Videoing to Laughing at Firefighters

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Our jobs are dangerous…we all know that. When we have a fire, people flock to see what is going on. Nowadays, people come prepared with their video capable phones.

Take this video below for instance. This guy starts out his video by saying “Shits Burning Down!”. He then exclaims that the video will be on youtube within 5 minutes.

And then…When a firefighter stumbles, the amateur videographer quickly exclaims that it will also be on Fail Blog…apparently a blog about people who have misfortune or make stupid mistakes.

He continues to make remarks about the firefighter. Luckily it does not get out of hand.

Wait for it at the 1:50 mark.

I typically don’t have a problem about people whipping out their phones. I just make sure they can take pictures of things they don’t need to see. I cannot control them or what they do with it.

As for this guy…I wish he would have just shut his mouth…I don’t mind looking at videos of fires, but play by play from someone who doesn’t have a clue about firefighting is unnecessary and unwelcome.

The fire happened at Dollar Giant in Huntsville, Ontario.

Posted by The Fire Critic on June 14, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: Amateur Video, Building Fire, Dollar Giant, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighter Fail, Firefighting, Huntsville, Huntsville Fire Department, Ontario, Rhett Fleitz

Firefighter Netcast Celebrates 100th Show Live Thursday Night!

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Thursday May 5th, John and I will celebrate our 100th show on Firefighter Netcast live at 9pm.

The direct link to the show is here

What is Firefighter Netcast?

Firefighter Netcast is the leading edge in podcasting and live netcasts for the fire service today. When we began in January 2010, there was one other show “Burning it Down” run by the guys behind The Bravest Online. Unfortunately they closed the door on their live podcast and left us all alone…until recently.

Nowadays there are other options for live fire service podcasting…but lets be clear that we are often imitated but never duplicated!

While we still have a lot to learn, we have continued to broaden our reach, fine tune our delivery, and offer the best fire service podcasting available.

You might ask why you can’t listen in every night to Firefighter Netcast…the answer is because these things take time. Our hosts have to create the shows and the content has to be rich. If we were running shows every night, our content would be watered down and we would begin repeating ourselves. In addition to all of that, we have families and careers.

Firefighter Netcast - Facebook – Twitter – Itunes - Blog Talk Radio

Who is Firefighter Netcast?

Firefighter Netcast is comprised of many hosts (and a couple more to be added soon). Firefighter Netcast is run by John Mitchell and myself.

Our shows and hosts include:

We will be joined very shortly with host Doug Cline as well.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the tremendous assistance that Willie Wines Jr. has been to Firefighter Netcast. He has helped us out so much and we are very grateful!

We have also done work for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at Conferences and the NFFF Memorial Weekend. We produce FireHero Radio for the NFFF as well.

But the most important aspect of Who we are is our listeners! We enjoy the live listeners who chat in the chatroom as well as the majority of our listeners who catch up with us on our web site, facebook, twitter, and most importantly itunes!

I must say that I have had a blast since January 2010 when we got started. I have enjoyed all of the people I have met, the ones I have yet to meet, and the places I have been!

In case anyone is counting, we HAVE had more than 100 podcasts, but this is our 100th live netcast! In addition to the live netcasts, we have recorded dozens of other shows at conferences and other places!

Thanks for making Firefighter Netcast the BEST fire service podcast!

Thanks for the memories!

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 5, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, NetCast, News, Podcast, Social Media, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Art Doss, Billy D. Hayes, Christopher Naum, Dave LeBlanc, EMS Podcast, Fire Netcast, Fire Podcast, Fire Podcasts, fire radio, Fire Service Radio, Firefighter Podcast, Firefighter Radio, Firefighting Podcast, Firefighting Radio, NetCast, Podcast, Podcasting, Rhett Fleitz, Tiger Schmittendorf, Willie Wines Jr.

Social Media For the Fire Service

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I just finished teaching two classes in New Jersey on social media for the fire service. My class was similar to the one I taught at FDIC this year but much longer. Both classes ran from 8:30am – 2pm. The class at FDIC was a mere 1 hour and 45 minutes. I couldn’t possibly teach everything everyone needs to know about social media in even a week long class.

It seemed as though everyone was able to learn something at each class. The first class was taught at the Ocean County Fire Academy and the second at the Middlesex County Fire Academy. Both of these were very impressive training facilities.

Willie Wines Jr. accompanied me and wrote a short article about it here.

Attendees work on a social media worksheet in groups

We even had a chance to stop by and see the house from MTV’s Jersey Shore! Check out some photos here.

I have learned so much from teaching about social media. Here are some of the finer points:

Very few of the attendee’s departments use social media
Very few of the attendee’s departments have web sites which are updated
Many are very weary about using social media before the class
Most leave the class with an understand that social media should be used by their fire department
It is not easy to explain social mediums and how to use them
Training centers SHOULD have high-speed internet available to the instructors and attendees

The two largest hurdles for me were:

Not knowing exactly what the attendee wants to learn about social media
Not knowing what type of department each attendee is a member of and what the needs are

The most common suggestions on the evaluations were:

Having a handout of the powerpoint presentation
Offering examples of the social mediums during the class
Having internet available for the class to use via computer, smartphone, and for the instructor.

I appreciate any and all feedback on the class. As for having a handout, my powerpoint presentation is 100 slides. That sounds like a lot, but it isn’t overbearing. I don’t read from the slides and don’t have to stare at them to teach. I just have a problem with all the paper that would use. More than likely I will offer a handout in the future of the presentation.

As for offering examples, I did have Willie giving examples via his computer, my aircard (which was running slow), and a second projector that I brought with me. I only did this in the second class. It would be difficult for me to pull it off by myself…and it would be much easier if I had a high-speed internet connection! However, the training centers did not offer it for my use.

All in all, the class was great! I could not be happier. It was great working for Kean University and I hope to come back in the fall to teach more on social media!

There is still a lot for me to learn….and teach!

Posted by The Fire Critic on April 22, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Social Media • Tagged: Class, Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, IronFiremen.com, Jersey Shore, Middlesex County Fire Academy, Ocean County Fire Academy, Rhett Fleitz, Seaside Heights, Social Media, Social Media in the Fire Service, The Jersey Shore, Willie Wines Jr.

Portland Utilizes Youtube to Announce Upcoming Hiring Process

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The Portland Fire & Rescue Department in Oregon has utilized Youtube to spread the word on their hiring process. They use their own firefighters to tell the World about why they are Portland Firefighters.

This is a perfect example of using social media to spread the word on recruitment for an upcoming hiring process!

If you are looking for a job, you better hurry! They only accept the first 4500 applications!

The direct link for their hiring is here!

Posted by The Fire Critic on April 18, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media, Videos • Tagged: Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, Hiring, Oregon, Portland Fire & Rescue Department, Recruitment, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, youtube

Upcoming Class: Social Media in the Fire Service April 20th & 21st

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Next week, I am teaching a longer version of the class I did at FDIC this year. The class is offered two days in a row through Kean University in New Jersey.

Social Media: Fire Service’s Next Biggest Innovation will be offered:

Wednesday April 20th at Ocean County Fire Academy
Thursday April 21st at Middlesex County Fire Academy

For more information, check out KeanFireSafety.com

The class will be a lot more in depth and cover much more information than I was able to cover in an hour and 45 minutes at FDIC. The feedback I recieved from FDIC has helped me focus on what the participants are looking for!

If you are interested in having me teach at your department or potentially consult your department on creating a full social media presence please let me know at firecritic@firecritic.com.

Also, if you live, work, or volunteer in the area where I will be teaching in New Jersey be sure to connect with me. I won’t have anything to do during the night and might want to see around a bit. Wouldn’t it be great to have your department featured on FireCritic.com?

Posted by The Fire Critic on April 12, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, News, Social Media • Tagged: Fire Critic, Fire Service Social Media, FireCritic.com, Kean University, Middlesex County Fire Academy, Ocean County Fire Academy, Policy on Social Media, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Social Media in the Fire Service, Social Media Policy, Social Media Policy for Firefighters, Social Media Training

Homeowner Films House Fire and Thanks Fire Department on Youtube

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The Berkeley Fire Department responded for a house fire and the homeowner not only recorded a short clip and uploaded it to youtube, they also took the opportunity to thank the fire department on youtube.

Sometimes, we see homeowners and neighbors leave comments on youtube videos asking that the person who uploaded it to remove it. This is the exact opposite of that. This homeowner shares the video AND thanks the fire department.

While the video clip is short, and the video doesn’t offer any useful training or tactical consideration that might be resourceful for other firefighters, there is still a lesson here. This homeowner has suffered a house fire and no doubt lost belongings…yet still took the time to share it with others. The positive effect of this action shows social media in a positive light.