Run to the Curb!

This circa 1940s photo courtesy of Chief Tom Merrill of the Snyder Fire Department in Amherst NY is what Run-to-the-Curb is all about: Capturing the imaginations of kids and firefighters alike to fuel their passion for the fire service.

What kid doesn’t want to be a firefighter? Every time they hear a siren or see a fire engine race by, they run to the curb to see what’s going on. Thus, I call these future firefighters “Run to the Curb” type kids.

I was one of those kids and I bet you were one too. It’s something you never grow out of — and many of us chose to grow into it.

“Run to the Curb!” is a living document and possible online book project too. Here, I’ll share my experiences, my stories that have been writing themselves over my thirty years in the fire service —and my thoughts on our need to be better story tellers. 

And, I want to hear your stories too. You can share your childhood experiences and your connections to the fire service and in doing so, share the brotherhood, history and traditions of the fire service with fellow firefighters — and those who wish they were.

Check back often as more stories are added and we build this legacy together.

Run to the curb. Tell your story. Tell your fortune. We can’t wait to hear it.