News Article Offers Insight into Interesting Lives of Volunteer Firefighters

The Boys and their boys: Pat Davis and Zach, John Latimore and Kyle, Alex and I, and Bruce with Keegan on his lap.

Buffalo News Feature Reporter Ann Neville — a volunteer firefighter herself — shares her keen insight into the interesting and interrupted lifestyles that come with being a volunteer firefighter in this two-page feature published on Sunday-December 15, 2013.

We often say that life in the fire service is not a job — it’s a lifestyle — and a very interrupted lifestyle at that. But, the next time the siren sounds we’re ready to run out the door: clothes, keys and equipment in hand; leaving our loved ones behind in a warm bed, at the dinner table, or just as we were all ready to walk out the door for a family gathering.

Running to the Curb — and then the Engine!

I stumbled upon these videos while searching for another fire service related piece and thought they were cute. The first shows two twin boys running to the engine and gearing up for the big one while the second video shows an older boy waiting for his turn to really ride the big rig.

While neither video is certainly “professional grade,” they are both good reminders of what made each of us come to the fire service as Run-to-the-Curb kids and hopefully serve to motivate us to keep doing what we love to do.

I’m sure there are plenty more videos just like this out there on the web. Do you have a photo or video of your future firefighter gearing up to be a Run-to-the-Curb kid? We’d love to share it here.

Twins:

Gear Up:

RttC Kids: Following in their Father’s Footsteps

These two Run-to-the-Curb kids are obviously destined to follow in their father’s footsteps as the children of Lt. John Shafer from Greencastle Indiana. John is the editor of the popular blog “Green Maltese” and is a rising star on the subject of building construction and firefighter safety. Six year old Jade refers to herself as Daddy’s “Little Fire Girl.”

Rttc Kid: Jonathan Shafer – Age 8

Jade Shafer – Age 6 – “Daddy’s Little Fire Girl”

Lt. John Shafer – Greencastle IN

How’d you get involved?

There’s a discussion going on over at FirefighterNation.com that asks the question: “How’d you get involved?”

Although it was started by a Junior Firefighter asking other Juniors what sparked them to join the fire service, several adults are chiming in too. It’s fun to watch these discussions evolve.

What’s going to be even more fun will be to see how these Juniors’ stories end up 10, 20 or more years from now.

Run to the Curb. Get in the discussion at: http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/howd-you-get-involved

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). 

Run-to-the-Curb Bonanza

Actually it’s a carnival — not quite a bonanza.

Run-to-the-Curb.com has hit the jackpot with FireCritic’s First Due Blog Carnival Episode 1 which challenged bloggers to share their answers to the question: “I’m a firefighter because…”

What FireCritic ended up with was some of the deepest, most endearing – and hilarious – compilations of how 14 of the most prolific firefighter/bloggers got their start in the fire service and what keeps them going. The carnival even includes my own story of how I was perhaps destined to be a firefighter because “It was in the cards.”

It was in the cards.

My grandmother sent me this fire truck card for my first birthday.

I posted this blog at www.tigerschmittendorf.com as part of the First Due Fire Blog Carnival being hosted by the FireCritic.

It’s an enhanced excerpt from Fortune Tellers that tells the story: “I’m a firefighter because…”

Read “It was in the cards.” and tell me your story of how and why you got started in the fire service right here at Run-to-the-Curb.com

RttC Kid: Chief John Buttino

>>>These are their stories (DEH, deh.)

By: JOHN BUTTINO – for www.runtothecurb.com
Fire Chief of the Eggertsville Hose Company and Run-to-the-Curb type kid  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

For anyone who is a fan of the “Law and Order” TV series, the line above should be a familiar one.  

I commend my good friend, colleague and brother Tiger Schmittendorf for his duty and courage to recruit firefighters who are passionate for community service, educating them about what it is that we do and for keeping these stories telling for eternity. Our predecessors would be very proud to see you keep the tradition alive!

Everybody Loves Sparky

I was at the WNY Health Expo at the Erie County Fairgrounds today as part of the Erie County Health Department’s last H1N1 vaccination clinic operation for the season.  

I had the opportunity to connect with Sparky the Fire Dog who is always a favorite with kids of all ages. Sparky is owned by the Hamburg Volunteer Fire Department and his “handler” George Utz does a fantastic job of connecting with kids and adults alike. It always amazes me the information that people will share so candidly with Sparky, not paying any attention to “the man behind the curtain.” 

I remember my first time…

I just got home from drill night at the fire station a few minutes ago. It was a good drill. Our Captain started out with basic run card assignments for first and second out apparatus, depending on if we were going to a mutual aid or if it was our own “original” work.

He did a good job of covering assignments and there was good interaction amongst the group that included everyone from Explorers to Firefighters with 35+ years of experience, and everything in between. It lead into a presentation and discussion of minimum staffing for our volunteer department, including a video depicting the importance of a well coordinated attack on a heavily involved fire.