as the "nice guy". The guy that can never say no. That's me. I love to help people. And you all know the most important people are our children.

So during this year, I had the opportunity to visit a couple of elementary schools, as well as volunteer for my son's cub scouts. One class was my son Isaac's, and the other was to visit a class for a teacher who is a good friend of mine. In both instances, I had a whole lot of fun. We got the chance to teach the kids, and show them all of the gear from the ambulance. Although I couldn't help but notice that many of them seemed frightened and nervous at first. It wasn't until after they learned about what we do and what the gear is used for that they felt more comfortable. This made me realize that there is a real need for a children's book to explain what a firefighter looks like in a fire, and what type of tools he and EMS will use around and on them if they are injured. The book will also need to let them know not to hide.

One of my major drives comes from the below quote:
"It all depends on the situation the child is in and their prior experiences and their prior education as far as what to do when someone is coming to help them," said PFA spokesman Patrick Love. "Unfortunately, within the history of the fire service, we've had children hide from firefighters and had tragic outcomes." 

So I came up with a story about a little boy and girl who have experiences where they need a firefighter and EMT. As the story goes on, the book will display many illustrations, and real photos of the equipment so the children can get a first hand look at it.

If I could, I would visit every school but we all know that is not an option. As a Husband, Dad, full time professional, volunteer EMT and now Children's author, I don't have time for that. None of us do. So I chose to work on this book to help reach as many classrooms as possible. 
I ask you all to please help me. Below is the link to my Kickstarter campaign. If you like please make a pledge. I understand money is tight so if you cannot make a pledge, please share this with your friends and family. I'm looking to spread the word. By making a pledge, you are actually pre-ordering the book. It's all explained on the kickstarter site, but please let me know if you have any questions. I have 23 days left to reach my goal, and it's all or nothing with Kickstarter. The link is below.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/611795399/dont-be-afraid

Thank you all very much for your love and support. - Joe