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Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Firefighters 2011

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The 2011 Christmas season is in full swing.

Willie Wines Jr. recently posted IronFiremen.com’s Top Ten Stocking Stuffers here. There are some great gift ideas on the list! While some of those items might have made it to this list, I decided not to duplicate in order to give you all some more options.

What a great start to buying for that significant firefighter in your life.

You can read the past years Top Ten Christmas Gifts lists:

This year will be no different. The best gifts for firefighters. Some of these are custom gifts and will require ordering…don’t worry they are worth the wait!

Here we go…

10. Ride Backwards Apparel

Ride Backwards is what it is all about. Apparel for the fit firefighter…or the one trying to get fit. If your firefighter is working towards being healthier or is already there, Ride Backwards gear is made for them. Let me be clear though…Ride Backwards isn’t just an apparel company, they are a community of like minded firefighters who train, exercise, and lead healthy lives. I can’t put my finger on exactly why I love this company, I have only met a couple of the people behind the company once. I just love following them on Facebook and keeping in touch with their fan base.

If you are trying to get fans on Facebook or build a community you should definitely be taking notes from them!

Check out their web site here. They have some great products!

9. Phenix Leather Helmet

I wish I could tell you mine fit great, but I haven’t received it yet. I have one on order, a gift from a friend (more on that later). Let me say that I have had one on my head and it felt awesome. I have had several leather helmets and as the times change, technology changes, regulations change the leather helmets have changed. Some of them have become very cumbersome. While I have not tested this helmet out, it felt very good to wear. One of the biggest things I liked about it is that it sits low on my head.

I cannot wait to have it in my hands! The picture to the right is mine in production.

Check out Phenix helmets online here.

8. Firefighter Calendar

Whether you are looking for a bunch of hot men or women firefighters we have you covered. You can view the hottest male firefighter calendars here and the hottest female firefighter calendars here. Most of these support a great cause and are organized by firefighters. Pick your poison and order a calendar for that special firefighter in your life. Better yet, order one for yourself too!

My personal favorite has to be the America’s Female Firefighters Calendar. Check out their site here and they are on Facebook as well.

7. Firefighter Apparel

I admit, some firefighting apparel is gaudy and over the top. If your firefighter is going to wear firefighting apparel they need to be wearing the right stuff. Trust me, there is plenty of stuff out their for different tastes.

I suggest you look at:

6. Leather Bunker Boots

Much like #1 on our list this year, too many firefighters are not provided leather bunker boots. It amazes me that departments waste their money on rubber boots. In my department, rubber boots merely take up space on the tops of our lockers. Although there are a few firefighters who still wear them because they don’t care about their feet enough to purchase leather boots on their own.

I cannot speak for all of the brands, but I will tell you that the Black Diamond X Boot, Black Diamond X2 Boot, and Lion Apparel Marshall boots (all links to product reviews) are great boots.

I also hear that the Globe leather boots and Haix leather boots are great boots.

You can buy the boots on TheFireStore.com

5. NFFF Merchandise

Supporting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is the right thing to do. They take care of our Fallen and their families. Purchasing, gifting, and wearing their merchandise supports their mission.

They have cups, mugs, challenge coins, picture frames, posters, books, stuffed animals, charms, and so much more!

Support the NFFF, they are supporting us!

Check them out online. Their store is here.

4. MN8 Foxfire Illuminating Gear

I have been a long time fan of the illuminating gear from MN8. I have done some product reviews on their stuff and use it on a regular basis. The thing about their products is that it isn’t another product, it is a better spin on a current product. Instead of simply having a helmet band, you can have one that illuminates. Instead of having grip tape on on a tool, you can have grip tape that illuminates. They also have epoxy grip that illuminates for tools. Soon, we they will be unveiling a brand new tetrahedron for firefighter use. I can’t say much more, but it is impressive.

Check out MN8 on Facebook as well. Another company creating a community around their products.

View their products on their web site. Purchase their products on TheFireStore.com.

3. Custom Leather Accessories

No not the Excessive Leather Accessories for Fire Fighters (ELAFFHQ.com), I am actually talking about custom leatherwork by firefighters for firefighters. Might I point you in the direction of Box Alarm Leather. They do everything from helmet shields to radio straps and can custom make just about anything. Check them out here.

There are plenty of other great custom leather companies as well:

2. Brotherhood Chips

You may not know it, but that special firefighter in your life is sure to read both FireCritic.com and IronFiremen.com.

They can now carry us with them wherever they go. Introducing the FireCritic/IronFiremen “Brotherhood Chip”. It is smaller and weighs less than the typical “challenge coin”, but serves the same purpose.

Challenge Coins are a long held tradition within the Military, Fire and Police Service. Now, your firefighter can have one from 2 of the Nation’s top Fire Service Bloggers!

We designed the chips with the words “Tradition”, “Honor”, “Pride”, “Respect” and “Brotherhood” on the edge. That is what we are about and is exactly what we are trying to spread.

Get more details and purchase yours by clicking  HERE .

We got our chips made by TheChipSite.com. Check them out!

1. Personal Rescue Escape System

Too few firefighters have these!

I do not own and am not issued a commercially made personal rescue escape system, bailout bag, or whatever you might call it. I do have a pretty decent set up that I can use as a search line or rescue rope/webbing for victims or other firefighters as well as a bailout system for myself.

Here is the thing…every firefighter should own and carry some sort of setup. Whether it is a commercially made system or a made up system of caribeeners and rope/webbing they should have it.

If their department is like mine and doesn’t care about this need in our job, you can step in and get it for your firefighter.

TheFireStore.com offers several different setups. Check them out.

Top Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Firefighters List For 2010

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Last year, I offered my top ten Christmas Gifts for Firefighters (last years list is here). The article has remained very popular even this year.

Just in Time for Black Friday!

This year, I am redoing the list for 2010. There are many new gifts out there and I want to make sure that the firefighters are getting what they deserve…The Best Christmas Gifts for Firefighters!

This year Ash and Dreams posted a Top Ten Gifts for Firefighter Wives…Including the firefighter vibrator. Imagine that… The last thing we want is another firefighter at our house while we are working. Even if it is powered by 6 D-cell batteries!

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

I challenge you to come up with a better list!

Just in case you are wondering…I have not been paid or solicited by any of the mentioned products or companies I might name or link to below. Note: some of the gifts might have been reviewed by the Fire Critic. However the Fire Critic is UNFORTUNATELY not being paid for this list or to list any of these products.

10. Ledger to keep track of their calls

Ledger to keep track of their calls - Get your firefighter a ledger (or diary) so they can keep track of the calls they run, the things they do on shift, or tidbits of information they might want to keep a note of.

I have a terrible memory. I also do not keep track of much. If I wrote things down, I might be able to pinpoint exactly what the Chief told me in his office on a particular visit!

Or

I might have written down all the fires or major calls I have been on to help me put my experiences into that book I have always wanted to write. You know, the one about the fires (both of them) that I have been on!

9. Leather Fire Helmet

Cairns New Yorker Fire Helmet

Leather Fire Helmet – I love my leather helmet. I hope to get a new one soon. If at the very least, purchase a traditional style composite helmet for your firefighter! The “salad bowl” helmets that most departments issue are a travesty.

Probably the most popular leather fire helmet is the Cairns New Yorker. However, there are many other options out there.

These are not cheap by any means. However, they are well worth the investment.

Visit MSA online to purchase

8. Firemans Chore Denim Jacket

Here is a lovely model wearing a Firemans Chore jacket!

Firemans Chore Denim Jacket – These are very popular jackets among firefighters. They have many options and you can customize them the way you would like. About: Firemans Chore® Inc. is located in Indianapolis, Indiana offering you the “Original” Denim Chore and Diamond Quilted Job Jackets Made in the USA. A Firefighter owned and operated company since 2004, we bring you a line of tradional firefighters jackets that can’t be beat for style and comfort. They offer IAFF firefighter gear, and bagpiper gear as well including buckles, brooch’s, cap badges, and sporrans.

Visit Firemans chore online here

7. Firefighter/EMS/Police Monopoly

Firefighter, Law Enforcement, and EMS Monopoly

Firefighter, Law Enforcement, and EMS Monopoly

Firefighter/EMS/Police Monopoly – Finally there is parity among Fire/Police/EMS. Unfortunately it isn’t in the pay! However, each public service entity now has its own monopoly game geared towards them. For less than $40, you can be playing monopoly with your loved ones. I have them all, shouldn’t you!

Check out Emergency Services Play for more information and ordering info for these games!

Nothing says competition in a firehouse like a good old fashioned game of monopoly!

6. FireGeezer Mug

Firegeezer Travel Mug

FireGeezer Mug - Firegeezer has come out with a new travel mug to go well with his normal coffee mug. Order the travel mug here or the normal mug here.

Per FireGeezer:
This state-of-the-art Travel Mug has all of the features you want:

  • Whopping 16-ounce cup
  • Double-walled insulated construction
  • Reduced diameter base fits in most cup holders
  • Keeps your coffee hot for more than an hour (we tested it!)
  • Metallic Fire Engine Red color …. just like your ride

This is the perfect travel mug to get you to work in the morning and keep you coffee’d up on the drive back home. As you expect with any Firegeezer product, this is top-quality and will give you long and faithful service. The artwork is the same as that on our standard coffee mug, except that all the writing is white lettering over the metallic fire engine red color.

5. Leather Fire Boots

Black Diamonds X2 Boot

Leather Fire Boots – More specifically, the new Black Diamond X2 Boot.

You might remember that I did a product review on this a couple months ago. Since then I have been wearing my boots every day at work. These boots are amazingly comfortable! I cringe when I see a firefighter wearing those rubber boots that are typically issued by the department. Ugh! If they only knew how comfortable that leather boots are.

Help your firefighter out by making them at least look like they know what they are doing while on the job by fitting them into some leather fire boots.

4. Firefighter Calendar

Girls on Fire

Firefighter Calendar – There are so many firefighter calendars out there. Female firefighters will have no problem finding a decent calendar full of hunky male firefighters. What there aren’t many of is female firefighters or female firefighter calendars. Don’t worry though, I have found the best of both…Check out the Top Ten Hot & Sexy Firefighter Calendars for 2011 for my picks. That being said, your firefighter should have a calendar to keep track of your anniversary, birthdays, and other important dates. Why not get him (or her) a firefighter calendar. Just check out the one on the right for a decent idea.

Click on the pic for more examples.

3. Camera

Camera - Yes a camera. No, not a huge, bulky, and expensive camera. Just a small point and shoot digital camera.

No, not so firefighters can stop what they are doing to take pictures of themselves. And no, not so firefighters become photographers on the fireground while they should be working.

Simply because too few people are capturing the good times with photography. Get them a camera to carry with them on the rig so they can take a picture of their crew while they are at fire prevention events, done working after a fire, or pictures around the station for example.

More importantly, get them a camera so they can capture training nuggets and pre fire plan issues. These photographs might be used to spread the word at the station or send in to one of the training sites to teach people about issues, construction, obstruction, or weird occurrences that might effect them if there was a fire.

2. Sav-A-Jake Multi Purpose Rescue Tool

Sav-A-Jake Rescue Tool

Sav-A-Jake Multi Purpose Rescue Tool - Sav A Jake offers many rescue and firefighting tools and straps in kevlar and leather. These firefighter rescue tools are small and can fit inside your firefighters turnout gear. They have a multitude of uses.

Check out the many other things that Sav A Jake offers like radio straps, hose straps, and tool straps to name a few.

Visit their web site here

1. Firefighter Apparel

Unfortunately, the bulging biceps are not built into this shirt.

Firefighter Apparel - Whether you like Black Helmet apparel, Rak Wear (working on a product review now), Ride Backwards, or LEO fire apparel (product review here) they have something for everyone. Each of these companies have come up with designs for firefighters that are not over the top or whacker-ish. The designs are quite well done. These t-shirts are sure to be a hit for any firefighter who doesn’t mind showing off his trade.

Black Helmet web site
LEO Fire web site
Rak Wear web site
Ride Backwards Apparel

Check out each company for the style that your firefighter might like!