Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amanda Stegman Hughes on January 8, 2010 at 1:52pm

My fiance is starting training at a volunteer fire dept tomorrow and I am extremely interested in photography (i plan on going to school for it) so I hope to be in the position that you are in someday! Just the sound of applying my love of photography to a service such a firefighting gets my adrenaline pumping! I'm definitely making a note to talk to the Chief of the firehouse about it!

Permalink Reply by Janine on January 10, 2010 at 2:12pm

My husband is a Paramedic with our local dept and I shot one of their training burns in 2004. I was hooked after that. The staff enjoys seeing pictures of themselves in action and I get to share their accomplishments with the world.

Permalink Reply by ChrisK on January 10, 2010 at 3:13pm

After I retired in 2008 after 20 years, I wanted a way to stay connected to the fire service. I had been into photography all my life and so I started shooting fires and car accidents around my area. I didn't have a department affiliation at that point but got hooked up with the 1st Responder Newspaper so I would intro myself to all the guys and chiefs as often as I could.

Shortly after the 1st Responder thing started, I got hooked up with some online news sites and then the local papers and that was that. Now I freelance, shoot fires, sell prints and generally bum around looking for something to photograph every day.

I should say that I am a freelance writer for a large online how to site and that pays the bills so photography is all gravy and that allows me to shoot what I want, when I want and not take the fun out of it.

Permalink Reply by Ron Briggs on January 23, 2011 at 3:44pm

I have family in Emergency Services (father-former firefighter, brother-firefighter/paramedic, cousin-paramedic, uncle-cop). I am also a former fire explorer (was in my younger days for 2 1/2 years). I am friends with all of the personnel at the local dept. I went to a structure fire in Aug. 2009 less than a mile from my residence that was a major call and started to photograph. The chief showed up, saw me, and asked if I was doing photos. I stated yes and was then asked to continue for the dept. for that call. No Problem. 6 days later another fire 4 blocks away from my residence that was major. I showed up and started to photograph since the chief was the first truck on scene. 2 days later when I dropped off the photos on cd I was asked to be the official dept. photographer. I of course said yes. The rest is history. I photograph anything from fires to rescues to open houses to citizen academies now for them. I like what I do when doing it as well as all of the great responses that I get from the personnel.

Permalink Reply by john on March 28, 2012 at 10:56am

can not ride due to heart.so i do this because firefighting in my blood.

Permalink Reply by Ron Briggs on May 9, 2012 at 2:55am

I know of some others that due this due to the same reason. Glad you're still able to do this. Good Luck.