Planting a Seed

Janet Wilmoth - Fire Chief Magazine Editorial Director and Great Story Teller

I had the tremendous opportunity to meet Janet Wilmoth at FDIC last week and was suddenly reminded of what started me down this path of stressing the importance of storytelling in today’s fire service. 

As I was walking by her booth, I took the time to stop and introduce myself and thank her for inspiring my writing and presentations (despite the fact that I spilled a can of pop on the magazines at her booth – I was mortified). 

Janet is the editorial director for Fire Chief Magazine and a true fire service leader, although not being a firefighter herself. She wrote this short but very insightful piece in what I believe was the March-2007 edition of the magazine. 

The Importance of Story Telling 

Chiefs will change, officers will come and go, but the pride is passed on one generation at a time. 

Every time a retiree stops in a station, every time an incident is rehashed or a story told, the legacy is rekindled and the flame is passed on. 

— Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director, Fire Chief Magazine, janet@firechief.com 

In just a single quote, she passed on that flame to me and set off a series of emotional triggers that resulted in the creation of this web site and many of my writings.

As I say in “Fortune Tellers,” the importance of story telling in the fire service has never been greater than it is today. It is a critical skill set in ensuring the survival and success of the fire service as we know it. 

Many thanks to Janet and Fire Chief Magazine for leading the way in perpetuating the positive virtues and rich heritage of the fire service through effective story telling. 

Run to the curb. Tell your story here.

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