Journal Entry 22-The Next Inventor Is You

For some strange reason our year always ends in tragedy, or so it seems. The Newtown (CT) school shootings, the two brothers gunned down Christmas Eve in Webster, New York responding to a fire, only to be purposely ambushed and murdered, and the two people pushed on to the subway tracks in New York City. These are tragedies any time they happen but I guess they’re just amplified in December. Billy Goldfeder recently published a list of fires with LODD’s all in the month of December. Maybe we petition the government to skip December from now on and go from November to January? Probably not. I’m trying not to hate December but it’s getting hard not to. 

Let’s all go forward with positive thoughts for a happy, healthy, successful and safe New Year.

Been thinking a lot lately about what has transpired within the fire service especially over the last 50 or 60 years in the way of technological changes. (No, I didn’t start 60 years ago. Feels like it sometimes and looks like it most days but no.) Tools and tactics today didn’t just appear by magic. Hard working, thinking firefighters for generations brought these things about. Some have their names forever emblazoned in our minds like the Browder Life Net, the Halligan bar, the Bresnan Distributor, the Hannigan Backwards Spray Nozzle, the Cooper Hose Jacket, the Kelly Cellar Nozzle and the list can go on into Journal Entry 23. The first hose wagon was invented by a Fireman named Reuben Haines in Philadelphia. It cost $96. Good old Reuben like the others listed above saw a need and invented something to satisfy it. It’s true but necessity is the mother of invention. We went from horse drawn to motorized and wood to aluminum for ladders (except San Francisco of course). For those of you who have not been around longer than 15 minutes, just in my lifetime I’ve seen turn-out gear go from rubber to canvas to Nomex, and hand lines go from 1 ½” to 1 ¾” and to 2” as well. Automatic nozzles, composite nozzles, and nozzles that you can break down on scene and go from fog to smooth bore. Large diameter hose, thermal imaging cameras and a device for hi-rise fires called a Hero Pipe that you can set up on the floor below and goose neck the nozzle to the floor above. Did you know that in the early 1980’s two Tampa (FL) firefighters walked in to the Betten Roll-up company and told them they could “put an awful lot of hazmat response crap on than tuck like this?” For the next 25 years, Betten sold more trucks to the emergency services then to Coca Cola and Anheiser-Busch combined. 

These were ordinary guys like you and I who saw a need and put their minds to it. I heard an old chief once say that you can take four pieces of wood and three pieces of metal and leave it in the day room and in a few hours, the guys would come up with something useful. Here’s a quick guide;

•   If you think it’s a good idea, try it.
• If it works, share it.
•  If it’s really good, write about it.
• If it’s tremendous, patent it.

We will progress only if we keep thinking about what we do and how we do it. You are the next inventor. Now get to work!

Happy New Year and be safe,

Ronnie K        

Journal Entry 19: The Smashed Tactical Box

...And Some Damn Good Advice

Ron Kanterman (September 2012)

Guest Blogger; Deputy Chief Jim Murtagh (Ret.), FDNY

My guest blogger for Journal Entry #19 is Jim Murtagh. I met Jim in 1974 when I was a freshman at John Jay College in New York City and he was an adjunct professor and company offer on the upper west side of Manhattan. Jim has been a friend, advisor, professor and mentor during my entire career and to this day, as in the last 38 years, I welcome his commentary on anything I do. This piece was a note to me, however I modified it for the reading audience so it would look more like an editorial piece.  

Jim spent 35 years in the FDNY and retired in 2000 as a Deputy Assistant Chief of Department. He rose to the rank of Deputy Chief in record time, about 12 years and was a chief officer longer then he was all other ranks put together, over his career. Not an easy feat in the FDNY. Jim is a wealth of knowledge and has taught fire operations, strategy and tactics all over the United States. He is also an accomplished author and has produced an invaluable body of work.

The following are his thoughts and comments on my last feature article “New Fire loads, New Tactics; Smashing the Tactical Box.” Once again, Jim lends his expertise and life time of experience to all of us here. Enjoy the read.

Ronnie K

Bread & Butter-Not So Fast………………….

Under the subject heading of “Bread and Butter” fires, you talked about using 2 1/2 inch lines with a smoothbore nozzle in a house, staffing permitting of course. Then you went on to talk about the fact that maybe we should look at these new residential fires as commercial fires; and that the new fires are producing more BTUs. I agree with the second half of this statement, but not the first half.

I have found in the course of my career at FDNY that a 2 1/2" hose is not appropriate for fighting interior fires in multiple dwellings, housing projects, and tenement buildings. The obvious conditions which make this size hose inappropriate is the weight of the hose when filled with water (the larger diameter making it more difficult to handle in tight spots) and the back pressure at the nozzle due to the greater flow. However what's not obvious is the difficulty moving the line into the desired location once it is charged. Once the hose begins to discharge water it requires a significant effort to control; more than the effort provided by the nozzle person, and often more than a standard nozzle team (nozzle and back up firefighter). The weight of the water and the friction resistance of the hose rubbing along the floor, around the newel posts, corners of the walls and other obstructions makes it too difficult to advance. On a safety note and even more importantly, it’s too difficult to back out (retreat) when that option is required or mandated. My personal experience as well as the experience of thousands of New York City firefighters found that 2 1/2" hose gives you greater "knockdown power" but once you are in a confined space (hallway, doorway, vestibule, etc.) it limits your ability to control and move the hose line in most directions except straight ahead. In addition, because of the weight of dry 2 1/2" hose, there will be some delay in getting the line into its first operating position. This may give the fire time to intensify and expand in to additional areas of the structure. This presents the hose team with a threefold problem; (1) working harder to get the line into position (2) difficulty or the inability to manipulate or move the hose rapidly and (3) while they are attempting to move the line, the fire is getting away from them and maybe presenting new dangers (failure of ceilings, walls, floor or other building systems). (RK-Chief Ken Scandariato, Norwich (CT) FD has said; “Remember that we don’t fight fire fight, we fight time.”) If the building is of light weight new construction, failure under moderate conditions is probable. Structural failure may be also be caused by delays in getting the line into operation or caused by the significant punch of the stream. These are real possibilities.

My career included work in highly residential areas of New York City, 1 and 2 family homes, mid-size multiple dwellings and high-rise multiple dwellings, what we all call “Bread and Butter” areas. (RK-Jim did the 5 Borough tour over his 35 years.) In 1982 I had a fire on the top floor of the six-story multiple dwelling. The fire was in the rear apartment and at that time I was the Captain of Engine 48 in the Bronx. I had four very able-bodied and very talented firefighters stretch three lengths of 1 3/4" hose followed by four lengths of 2 1/2" hose up to the apartment door. When we began to enter the apartment on the sixth floor we opened the line and got a good flow of water and then the pressure dropped significantly. The Motor Pump Operator (MPO, driver, engineer, chauffer) was well experienced and knew how to provide an adequate water supply.  I immediately notified him that we were getting inadequate water pressure and flow as I sent the “door position” firefighter down to check the line for kinks or obstructions which may have been hampering the water delivery. My MPO advised me that he was pumping approximately 150 PSI and that if I want to go higher he could but I would have to order him to do so. The firefighter I sent to get the kinks out reported back relatively quickly and told me there were no kinks in the line and that it was in good condition. I ordered the MPO go to 200 psi.  While we did get a slight improvement it was inconsequential, so I ordered the MPO to go to 250 PSI. At that pressure, we got a reasonably good stream and started to advance. As we advanced, we experienced a burst length and had to back out.  Fortunately for us, the Battalion Chief had ordered a second line onto the floor and they were able to replace us and extinguish the fire. This is, as you know, is standard operating procedure to have a backup line in position when a hose line is put into operation.

The hose that we thought had burst was brand-new and had only been delivered to us the day before.  We had put it on apparatus but did not pressure test it before we used it.  (It was not common practice to pressure test hose when it was delivered by the FDNY hose unit.) I contacted the Hose Unit, Safety Unit and Research and Development and told them about the burst length. As it turns out, it was not a burst length in the true sense and the hose did not break. The butt of the hose blew off the hose from the end where it was connected. They questioned me and asked me about the increased pressures and I told him that my studies had indicated that the hose was rated far beyond the pressures we used that and that there is no reason that the butt end of the brand-new hose should come off. They agreed and also agreed to do some research over the course of the next several weeks. I went out to the Division of Training and met with the hose manufacturers as well as officers from the Hose Unit, Safety Battalion, Research and Development and the Training Bureau.  We all examined the hose and discussed the problem and agreed we should do a test to see if we could repeat what had happened. We stretched hose and forced water through both the old hose and new hose.  We were not able to repeat what had happened at the fire, however one interesting thing did come from our research.  When we took an internal measurement of the butt and the new hose it was in fact 1 3/4"inches just as the manufacturer had said it would be and just as the purchase order said it was supposed to be. However when we measured the old 1 3/4" hose we found that the butt was 1 3/4" but the hose was found to be 1.96" in diameter. This small, slightly less than a quarter inch (21/100's of an inch) difference was significant enough to retard the flow of water and when pushed to achieve the 185 GPM flow, strong enough to overcome the power of the hose retaining ring used to hold the hose on to the butt.  The older hose (1.96") was the size we had been using and, we were accustomed to receiving its larger flow at fires. The fire department returned all the hose it had ordered and ordered new hose at 1.96 inches in diameter. (RK-A good lesson learned for all of us. Do you really know what the true diameter of your hose lines are?)

Several years later I found someone who had worked on the original research that was done in the mid-70s.  They tried to determine what size hose we could go to and get away from using 2 1/2" hose for residential firefighting. The FDNY recognized booster lines were totally inadequate and extremely dangerous in most multiple dwelling or private dwelling fires. It also recognized that 2 1/2" was totally improper for firefighting in residential occupancies. The 2 1/2" hose is appropriate for commercial occupancies and large-scale fires provided you don't have to move the hose around too often or at a rapid pace. (RK-The open floor plan in a McMansion may be one of those residential spaces a 2 ½ may work as mentioned in my article, but that may be it. Try everything first before you engage on the fire ground!)

About six months after the incident with the 1 3/4" we went to a top floor fire in a significantly large H type building with the fire on the top floor and in the cockloft. We  were the fourth engine on the assignment and the chief told me he wanted me to take a line up the outside of the building and then into the top floor. I directed my unit to stretch 2 1/2" hose not 1 3/4".  They of course objected and thought it was ridiculous. We were going straight up the fire escape and then into a vacant apartment, down the hallway  and out to the fire area. It was a relatively easy straight run. The line was pulled up the fire escape and into the apartment by four firefighters, working together to get the line in position relatively quickly.  Once we were in position I called for water and notified the Battalion Chief who was on the fire floor, that I had my line in position and was ready to attack the expanding fire. He looked at me and said "What do you think you are going to do with that?"  I told him I was going knock the ceiling down and put the fire out. To the amazement of my own firefighters and some of the other units that were working with us and who were accustomed to using only 1 ¾  lines, they saw the power of the 2 1/2" line with a  straight bore nozzle to hydraulically overhaul walls and ceilings (open up) and rapidly extinguishing the fire. However when we tried to move the line forward I had to ask the Battalion Chief for additional support. We actually used seven firefighters to effectively move the line to various areas on the top floor. The line operated just as I had expected and just as my past experience had proven. This was the right situation and we had ample and experienced firefighters to do what need to be done. (RK-It looks to me that you have to have the right people, trained and experienced and plenty of them!)

Ron, you can see by what I have written, I'm not in favor 2 1/2" hose in small homes and MD's.  I think it would be dangerous in buildings with light weight construction. However if you use a 2 1/2" hose from the outside it works GREAT; and much better than 1 3/4" which I see often in the pictures in our Fire Service Publications. (RK-Yes, even one of the masters agrees that sometimes transitional attack is the way to go. Another argument for another day, however??)

Foam….Really?

I began to read what you wrote about foam and I immediately began to think of high expansion foam and all of its pitfalls. Fortunately you did not talk about high expansion foam. Thank you! I believe it would be an absolute disaster in these kinds of lightweight buildings and would result in bigger fires and more dangerous conditions. However the low expansion foam that you're talking about seems to have a good possibility for being a solution to a growing problem. I do not have a great deal of experience with using foam as an attack line in residential occupancies. In fact I have never heard of it until you wrote about it in this article. So let me say "bravo" to your thinking out-of-the-box and your understanding and willing to try things which are not commonly thought about. I'm sure that this will be further looked into and researched and evaluated by many Fire Departments over the next several years. I sure hope it works.

Again, I reiterate that your article is excellent. It is thoughtful, different, and steps out-of-the-box - something we all need to do more often.

Best regards,

Jim

Journal Entry 16 - The Union Gave What to Who? "Courage, Valor and a Firefighter's Chief"

An Invitation:
Keeping in touch with the brothers from North Plainfield, NJ after I had left the neighborhood three years ago has been a blessing. While working as a chief in Union County (NJ), I lived and volunteered with the Borough's combination fire department from 1997-2008. Like most other fire departments in our great country, it was the "same circus with different clowns." For those of you who travel the country or go to national conferences like FDIC, there is no doubt you've met a double or even a triplet of the guys you run with whether career, volunteer, Military, industrial or however you respond. I still thank God that I chose this profession, although sometimes I think it chose me. Good to be one of the clowns.

So, I get an email a few weeks back from my buddy, Jeff Holtz, who doubles as the Local 2958, President for the IAFF chapter in North Plainfield. It's an invitation to the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ) annual Valor Awards Ceremony. He asked me to attend to help with recognizing his Chief, William Eaton, for great strides with the Department. My initial reaction was "the Union is giving what to who?" Jeff nominated his chief to the State Board of the PFANJ for outstanding leadership and relentless progress in the labor-management arena. This was the inaugural award, for the Union had never done this before. It was a great idea whose time had come. Of course, emails from me followed with; where, when, what shall I say and most important, what shall I wear? And oh yeah, what are we eating? (Very important.) With all of the details knocked out I couldn't wait to get back home, even for one night. This is by far one of my favorite fire service activities, attending a valor awards ceremony.

On Thursday, March 29, 2012 I left southeast Connecticut and headed south on I-95. What should have taken 3 hours took 4 with rush hour traffic. (If you're from the area, you know that it's rush hour all the time on I-95. I built in the extra time in order to get there on time. (When you live here, you know to do that.) The reunion started upon my arrival at the Garden State Arts Center Reception Area. As I got out of the car I ran into a Chief from the Elizabeth (NJ) Fire Department. Once inside, it kicked into high gear-- handshakes, hugs and greetings. The long drive was already worth it. As I got to my table, I saw Billy (Chief Eaton) and another dozen or so members of the NPFD who turned out for their Chief. After more greetings and some catching up, the awards presentation started while the wait staff served dinner.


Acts of Valor, Bravery and Courage:
The Union President, Dominick Marino greeted everyone along with the pipes and drums serving as an escort for the award winners. (This is one of those rare times when hearing the pipes is OK; it's those other times I've learned to hate.) After the salute to the flag and invocation by the Chaplain, Fr. Tom Ryan, the president started to read the acts of valor and called upon the recipients to come to the stage and be recognized. Firefighter after firefighter and group after group, they went to the stage to standing ovations and thunderous rounds of applause, all humble and almost looking embarrassed to be up there. The one or two that did speak said what all of them were thinking. "I was doing my job, I did was I was trained to do and/or I was in the right place at the right time." Hey, they all did something phenomenal and were being recognized whether they liked it or not. It's OK to be recognized folks. Take it, smile, say thanks and remain humble. I heard some unbelievable things. A group from Newark made multiple rescues from a 3/4-involved, multiple dwelling; an off-duty drowning rescue; multiple CPR and life-saving EMS rescues; and some outstanding administrative accomplishments. Nice job all--you make the fire service what it is!

A Firefighter's Chief:
President Marino introduced me and I headed for the podium on the stage. It was a surprise to Billy that I was not only there for the ceremonies, but that I was participating in the ceremony to honor him. After a few initial remarks, I couldn't help but to mention one of the firefighters who came to the stage earlier. FF Jason Fazio received a Special Valor and Courage Award. About 14 months prior to this night while working in Asbury Park, NJ (where Springsteen started) the room Jason was searching flashed over. All he could do was muster the strength to get up on a window sill and throw himself from the second floor to the pavement below. After suffering multiple broken bones and third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body, he looked physically strong this night, but his attitude and outlook were even stronger. He gave all the credit to the doctors and nurses of the St. Barnabas Hospital Burn Unit and also brought the doctor to the stage with him. There's that humble thinking and humility from our people again. He talked all about their work, and how they saved him, etc. (The folks at St. Barnabas are, in fact, incredible people who have created miracles over many years. The firefighters in the region know, love and respect them and the work they do.) He also talked about the brothers in the firehouse that took care of him and his family while we has incapacitated. He never mentioned the fire or his act of valor making searches under horrendous conditions. I told him from the podium that guys like him was the reason I joined this profession and stayed for the past 34 years, and that he was an inspiration to all.

Back to Chief Eaton.

The first thing I said was that there were only a handful of guys I'd drive 420 miles for in one night...and Billy Eaton was one of them. The next two pages were about our friendship and how I watched him grow from a young Lieutenant to an intelligent,

level-headed commander and leader. Moreover, I was so happy to see a younger Chief coming up and taking the reigns. Those of us who have been around longer than 15 minutes are consistently seeking the next generation of leaders. Chief Eaton is one of them. The next few pages of accolades and accomplishments were penned mostly by the Union president. Billy managed to avoid grievances since his appointment 6 years ago through his leadership style and sense of what's good for the Department. He also raised staffing 25 percent through two SAFER grants. The Department (one station for 2-½ square miles with 23,000 people) hadn't seen 28 men in many years. Billy is truly a firefighter's chief. He's a chief's chief as well, and has earned the respect of the New Jersey fire service at large.

Congratulations Chief Eaton; congratulations Local 2958 President Jeff Holtz on having a great idea; congratulations PFANJ President Marino and the members at large on going with this project. You have cut a new path and have planted seeds for labor-management relations. During these extremely difficult times, you've knocked the bar up a few notches because there will be strength in unity from the "proby" to the Chief. Nice job all on a fantastic night. I am forever grateful that you included me, and I offer you a personal "tip-of-the-helmet."

Take care, be well, be safe,
Ronnie K

Building a Fan Base for Future Success

Brothers and sisters:

I am happy to welcome long time friend and brother, Firefighter Rob Beattie of the North Plainfield, NJ, Fire/Rescue Department (NPFD) to my Journal. I met Rob 15 years ago when I started to run with the NPFD. While I was the Chief of Merck Fire Department (MFD), I began volunteering in North Plainfield along with Rob who was a young, 20-something volunteer waiting for the opportunity to jump at the chance for a career position. Rob followed his Dad's footsteps who retired as a Captain from the NPFD years before. He's been on the job now for 13 years, is a FF/EMT, holds numerous NJ certifications and is active with his IAFF Local. He also coordinated an annual activity through the firehouse for the past 8 years to raise money to fight childhood cancer (St. Baldrick's Foundation) and to his credit, has raised over a half-million dollars through his tenacity, dedication and leadership. It gives me great pride and pleasure to welcome Rob to my Journal as a "guest blogger" for the month of March, 2012. Check out his comparison of the American fire service and professional sports.

Enjoy and be safe. Ronnie K

Building a Fan Base for Future Success
By Rob Beattie

I hate to admit it, but I waited until late in life to appreciate professional sports. When I did start paying attention, I found it addictive. Not just the playing of the game, but the culture that follows it. As a firefighter I have been told that ours is a performance-based profession, to which I agree. Like football and hockey players, we wear heavy equipment and perform under adrenalin driven, adverse and pressure filled conditions. Like a relief pitcher seeking a win from a deficit, we battle against great odds to prevail in our objective. Like athletes in the moment, our evolutions require focus, determination and physical exertion; our physical and mental conditioning contributes to improved performance and success. The only hitch is that we never know when our game day will be, unlike the professional athletes who get to schedule their adrenaline rush. The other main difference--no one pays to watch us play the game.

There are more similarities between our fire service and sports. Not in the playing of the game or the performance of our duties, but the connection between the teams, players and fans. Sports teams and their talent enjoy an intimate relationship with their geographical home base. Beyond the game, athletes are engaged with their surroundings and the people in it, and do not necessarily live in the city where they play--even fewer are "from" there. In reality, many don't even live in the same State or even the same country during their off season. But the locals in the host city/town/village, etc. know who they are and a lot about them. Even people who live near the stadium, arena or ballpark who aren't fans of the home team likely appreciate the contribution and positive impact of the athletes and the team in the neighborhood. A connection at almost any level is recognized and endears the team and the players to the communities they play in. If an athlete isn't doing the right things in the team's home town, fans and non-fans alike let them know about it. You will read it on the sports page, see it on the news, and maybe even on a t-shirt. It is bad for the athlete, but worse, for the team. A firefighter is a public figure and hopefully a role model, held to a higher standard and I believe rightfully so. Do the wrong things and you'll make the papers or the 6:00 news. It may or may not end your career, but it will certainly impact you and your Department... your team!

What if the General Manager or Team Owner is looking to trade a popular player, one the fans are particularly fond of, one who performs well for the team and is connected to the community? There is no mercy-- management will be haunted by the decision, like the "Curse of the Bambino." Sound familiar?

The firehouse is an institution in your city, town, and neighborhood much like the venue hosting the game. The firefighters who work there may not live there for any number of reasons, but they are connected to the community by the nature of the work they do. Where you work is "your town" whether you live there or not, whether you were born there or not, or grew up there or not. You are sworn to protect and preserve it just like an athlete is signed to perform, play and represent it at home and on the road. The fire department is the home team, and could be the source of civic pride as long as they play the game right. The members of the team--the firefighters, should be loved by the fans and shielded and defended from those with dangerous motives that could compromise the integrity and performance of the team. A threat to the make-up of the team should be met with opposition from the fans-- our citizens. We should expect open and public defense of the firefighters. If those against us are successful, the decision should haunt the decision makers and the fans shouldn't let them forget it. Each instance of coming up short after a politically motivated bad decision is made should be highlighted and known until the integrity of the team is restored. Don't underestimate the fans; they will know who is at fault.

The fire service has had a tough time building a fan base; we are late to the game. Some cities and towns across the Nation have had localized success. We experienced the power of the fans after the tragic events of 9/11/01, but that has unfortunately faded through no fault of our own. What we can learn from sports teams is how they treat their fans and why. The franchise knows they need a solid fan base, especially at home. They can't sit back and wait for those fans to materialize. They have to reach out and win them over, season after season, year after year. Even a team which isn't winning can maintain their fan base with effective marketing. How do they do it? They bring the fans closer; they make them feel like they are part of the team, and the team part of the family. Yes, it is a business and it is about making money for sports teams. Selling tickets and putting fans in the seats is why they play at the level they do and why they pay professionals a lot of money to play the game. But, is that all? We should be able to relate to the franchise's need for public support when the city puts their needs to a vote. Check out the case history that follows:

The New York Islanders (NHL hockey team) needs a new arena. Their current home is the second oldest in active use by an NHL team. They don't want to leave Nassau County, Long Island, and the owners don't have the money to build a new arena on their own. So it came down to the taxpayers who would have to approve a taxpayer-funded replacement for the Nassau Coliseum. In August of last year, the voters rejected it. Now, the team's future on Long Island is uncertain. The supporters of the plan failed to gain the support of the community, they didn't convince them the benefit of a new arena would bring in revenue, civic pride and commerce. Even with the N.Y. Rangers and N.J. Devils supporting the initiative, it still failed. The voters focused on the immediate increase in taxes, not the big picture and benefit of the investment. Where were their fans? Does any of this sound familiar?

When the fire department needs something important, we rely on the community we serve--the taxpayers and their votes. We know that the upfront cost may be daunting. We also know the big picture and the benefit to the community that the Department's investment will bring, namely improved service delivery, compliance with established standards, and safety of the department's most important resource--its firefighters. So, we react to whatever it is that is confronting us. We hit the streets and pursue a public education campaign to inform our customers of what we do, why we do it, how and why we need them to step-up and support us in the best interest of the community. It is never easy because we usually wind up playing catch-up and more often than not, are marginally successful. So, what if they were already our fans? Wouldn't it make the buy-in easier to gain when it matters most? I think it would.

In public budget battles our competition is the police, private sector providers in EMS, the Board of Education, Department of Public Works and all other municipal agencies. We're all vying for the same pot of money. The cops have their own unique angle; "support us or crime will go up and we can't stop it." No body likes crime, especially the police. Their fans are the "good guys" who don't like crime either. It's an easy sell. Remember, everyone believes that sooner or later they will be a victim of a crime, but no one believes they will ever be a fire victim. Just ask around. EMS for profit: "Hey, our service won't cost you a single tax-dollar." Who doesn't want to save tax-dollars? The EMS-for-profit fan is the bandwagon hopper who buys the jersey after the championship is won. They will raise ticket prices and parking next season after they win you over. I guarantee that your research of this issue will confirm my suspicions.

So we are left justifying our jobs and pleading for support. With fire activity down we get, "What do you guys really do anyway?" These are the times we really need our fans. Bring the fans in early and ask them to be a part of us. After all, fans breed fans. Bring them closer and educate them on what the fire department can do before the emergency happens and the value it brings to the community.

Capitalize on your opportunities to connect with your existing and potential fans. There are things happening around us every day that have nothing to do with the fire department and everything to do with the community. Simply showing up and being there can make an impact and turn the casual observer into a fan, maybe even an enthusiast.

I don't follow basketball and I never really have. Maybe a casual observer is how I would describe myself. No loyalty to a team, a division or even a league. I was given an opportunity to attend a college game with a friend. The game was great, fast paced and exciting. It was a close game featuring a hard fought, back-and-forth battle trading the lead several times. I left the arena that night a fan of the team. They showed up to play and performed well, exceeded my expectations, and earned my support. (I'm confident my rooting for them lead to their victory.) Win or loose, they captured my attention. Now, theirs is the only basketball score I look for on the sports pages.

My son, Robbie, and I were at a football game one night. This young guy sitting next to Robbie was very in to the game. I don't remember how, but we learned he was a professional baseball player. He played for a team nowhere near us and honestly, I had never heard of him. With some encouragement and a little prodding on my part, my son worked up some courage and introduced himself to the ballplayer/fan and they started talking baseball. This guy was very cool and not bothered at all by the questions of a ten-year old. He could have just answered them patiently until the questions ended, but instead he began asking Robbie questions about his little league team. Not what I expected. That guy gained a brand new "biggest fan", and a fan in the biggest fans Dad!

When someone has an emergency and they call for our help, we respond. When we show up we have the opportunity to gain a fan, like that college basketball team that "got me" at the game. We show up to play and we expect to win every time. Winning is really our only option after all. The caller has an expectation of what we will do when we get there. It is our job to meet that expectation, and many times surpass it. We are professionals, volunteers and career alike. We do what we do and we do it well, better than anyone else. We know it and we have to show it. Our attitude and our disposition are on display every bit as much as our skills, abilities and talents. We are going to gain that fan when their emergency isn't as bad as they think, when we make them feel valuable for reaching out to us for help. Without their call we wouldn't be there. They gave us an opportunity to win them over so we must. "It is OK ma'am; it's what we are here for." "Everything is fine. It all checked out and YOU ARE SAFE." Guess what? You just gained a fan for life! And, if we have a lot of fans in the community, the people that our fans vote into office will need to be our fans too, for fans are loyal and demanding. Even a good politician can't convince a Red Sox fan that the Yankee's are better (even if in this writer's opinion, they are).

The stakes are higher for us than any sport, at any level, for any league. Ours comes down to life and death, and that is simply a reality. While fans live and die for their team, we live and die for our fans....and non-fans alike. If that fact isn't lost on us, we should be able to communicate it to them.

Make the most of your opportunities; be a professional every time, on every run. Do right by your fans and they will be there for you when you need them. Prepare for the game and show up to play. Stay safe and return with the victory!

Rob Beattie, FF/EMT
North Plainfield, NJ Fire/Rescue