I've been too silent for too long about an important subject in the fire service. I finally broke my silence in response to a discussion on drinking in the firehouse and a recent e-mail from Billy Goldfeder's not-so-secret "The Secret List" at www.firefighterclosecalls.com.

Here's what Billy wrote:…

Download Fire Safety by the Slice-Flyer.pdf

Some 75+ residents and scouts visited Evans Center's Erie Road Firehouse last evening for the fire company's annual Fire Safety Open House [PHOTOS AT END OF BLOG]

Everyone enjoyed the eight "Fire Prevention Stations" that Evans Center's Firefighters, Fire Explorers and FireCorps members…

Firefighters Battle Blaze at Angola Moose Lodge

By: Tiger Schmittendorf

September 12, 2007 --- A passerby reported a fire at the Angola Moose Lodge on Rte. 5 to the Angola Fire Control Dispatch Center shortly after 5am on Wednesday, September 12.

The fire call brought Highland and North Evans firefighters from the North Evans Fire District on the first alarm. Eventually, almost a dozen fire departments from…

This commemorative patch was designed to incorporate all of the elements that represent both the heritage and the future of the fire company as we celebrate 75 years of dedicated service to the Town of Evans community.

Using defined colors,…

This article is one in a series of toolkits focusing on recruitment, retention and fire service marketing.

Download Recruitment Toolkit-Annual…

FR. JOE BLESSES THE CHICKEN WITH EVANS CENTER'S

SECRET FAMILY RECIPE SAUCE WHILE BRUCE GREEN SR.

LISTENS INTENTLY

A chicken BBQ to benefit the Franciscan Center www.franciscancenterinc.org was held on Sunday-October 14. The fund-raiser was hosted by the Elma Volunteer Fire Company and organized by a group known as…

PHOTO BY: BRUCE GREEN JR./EVANS CENTER

Spring Brook and Jamison Road (Town of Elma NY) Volunteer Firefighters were dispatched for a reported structure fire around 1pm on Sunday-October 14, 2007.

I was part of a BBQ team from the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company who were cooking 700 halves of chicken at a…

TOWN OF EVANS NY --- You won’t have to look far to find Evans Center Firefighters in the community in the month of October.

More than a dozen firefighters and fire explorers were present in uniform at the Lake Shore Middle School on Monday-October 1 to support “Rachel’s Legacy” presented by Mr. Darrell Scott. Mr. Scott’s daughter Rachel was the first student killed in the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. The fire company was there to support the school’s initiatives of promoting…

I took Dan & Chip Heath's Fast Company article "Trigger Happy" to heart and decided to create some recruitment ads around the triggers I came up. I'd love to hear what you think:

Download Recruitment-The Next Time-5.pdf

BTW - Here's what Dan thought of my…

First of all, Fast Company [www.fastcompany.com] is the only magazine I read cover-to-cover every month. That says a lot considering all of the firefighting trade journals I read monthly.

I use Fast Company for my Fire Company. Without fail, I…

THE CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION PROUDLY PRESENTS

Leadership in the Firehouse:…

I was working late yesterday (as I usually do) at the fire academy and overheard Forks Fire Department (Cheektowaga NY) get banged out for a working fire. Their station is right across the street so I could hear the apparatus sirens winding up and then stopping abruptly shortly thereafter.

I missed the dispatcher give the address so I stepped outside to take a look. What I saw was the sky filling with thick black smoke and a raging fire right next door to our fire academy.

I…

September 21, 2007…

Hey... As you may know, last Wednesday afternoon's fire destroyed the Schuylkill Hose Company No. 2's engines, hazmat truck and gear and caused more than $1 million in damage. This Fire Company in Pennsylvania can use some assistance. If you have safe and immediately usable fire equipment, PPE etc to donate or wish to assist them as they get back on their feet, please contact Glen Sattizahan

For those who can assist Schuylkill Hose Co. #2, these e-mail addresses and phone numbers are…

On Saturday morning, June 17, 2006 I set out on a five-day cross-country trip to Sedona, AZ with my oldest brother David, who had moved there two years earlier. It was a much needed vacation for me and a necessary trip for my brother to retrieve some things from home in Buffalo, NY.

On Sunday morning, the Brins Mesa Fire in Oak Creek Canyon started one mile north of Sedona. We watched the fire's progress on the national news as we made overnight stops in Abilene, KS; Colorado Springs…

Where in the World is West Hancock, Mississippi?

The Two-Year Story of a Fire Department in Need…

Hi Folks -

An abridged version of my "Hancock Hope" article was just published in the August edition of Fire-Rescue Magazine. Check it out and get involved.

1. Tiger's Top 10 Tips for Recruitment & Retention:
2. 1. Think of your recruitment challenge in…