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Hey Do You Have a Minute For Me?

Our circulation guy asked if I had any comments we could print as to why firefighters like you read Fire Engineering. I would love it if a few of you could give us some quotes as to why you read the magazine.

I gotta tell you a funny story from FDIC. I was in a local Indy tavern (but only to get directions to church) when I saw a guy wearing a job shirt from a town I knew someone from. I ask the guy if he knows this other guy who I went to the NFA with a few years ago from his town. The guy says yeah, that the guy I knew had been promoted to training and that he was all about himself and thought he knew it all, and on and on.

The guy in the tavern continues to rant about how nobody on the job really liked this training guy because he was always coming up with new training and drills all the time. Now they have to do this and that, like inspect more and all sorts of useless stuff.

The guy in the tavern says he never got promoted because he was no good at book learning but this training guy is only good at book learning. Everyone knows that must mean this training guy a bad firefighter! "They should try throwing the books at fire," he yells, and now I am feeling really uncomfortable.

So then he asks if this training guy is my friend, and like St. Pete in the garden I am saying no, no, faster than city manager in a budget review, throwing the rear wheels right over my former friend, that bookworm loser!

"So anyway," the guy in the tavern says, "What do you do at FDIC?"

After a very long pause I say I sell magazines.

"What one?" he asks. I say Fire Engineering.

So now he says he used to read Fire Engineering but then he retired and sent his subscription to his son. I am feeling better now, so I ask how the son likes it. He says the son cancelled Fire Engineering because it was too hard to read and then subscribed to another magazine with more stories. Apparently the son likes to read the stories. I was going to ask him if his kid was promoted but figured you just can’t argue with genetics.

So why do you read Fire Engineering?

At 8:48pm on April 21st, 2008, Frank Ricci said…: For the photographs, seriously anyone worth their salt on this job realizes that we should all be lifelong students. I always pick up something to reinforce a concept or to discover something new. Fire Engineering has become the nation’s top trade magazine that in recent years has developed a presents not only in training, but proper staffing, political action and moral guidance. As instructors we need to advocate new members to get involved, train and read. The fire service needs a balance between proper hands on training, education, experience and knowledge. Fire Engineering plays a vital role in keeping our industry in touch with current issues that affects us and encourages members to get out of the station and train. Fire Engineering has become one of the loudest voices on firefighter safety and training and that’s why I will continue to support this publication.
Be Safe,

At 9:20pm on April 21st, 2008, John Shafer said…: The reason I read Fire Engineering is because I can learn something every time I pick it up. And because It main focus is on TRAINING not some report of some big incident. with a bunch of pictures of the incident.

At 10:18am on April 22nd, 2008, Brian Arnold said…: I read FE for the training tips, photographs and lessons learned from others around the country. The nation's most experienced firefighters sharing their thoughts and ideas is priceless to me and my crew.

At 8:00pm on April 22nd, 2008, Drew Smith said…: I read FE for lots of reasons: To be a better fireman, to see how other folks live, to get ideas, to confirm my own opinions and maybe change a few, to see what's new in methods and stuff, to learn from others sucessess and failures,to prevent a LODD, to be a professional. I ask a lot of guys in my suburban Chicago area if they say this or than article in FE and the reply is 50-50. Some don't subscribe and when I ask why not many don't know of the magazine so I point them to the website. Some don't give a hoot. SOme get the magazine but faile to read. To blow my own horn, I do not recall anyone asking me if I saw something in FE and ever saying no. Many years ago (1989) when I left the Geneva IL FD to go to another FD the chief paid me a compliment by saying he never could figure out how I know about this and that until he reliazed I read all the trade magazines (FE, FH, FC) each month.

At 8:24pm on April 22nd, 2008, Nick Morgan said…: I've read the other Fire magazines, and they each have their value, but I read Fire Engineering because it is truly a "cut above the rest". Most of the fire service leaders that I have come to respect and learn much from are either those who read or contribute articles to FE. I've been reading FE regularly for about 20 years. several years ago I reached a point in my life where I only had time to consistently and regularly read one FD trade magazine, and with no difficulty I chose Fire Engineering. Sure, I like good FG photos, and I learn from the major fires and incidents that happen in other parts of the country, but when I want consistently top quality articles on all aspects of fire service training and education on topics ranging from fire ground tactics, to haz-mat, to EMS and terrorism response; as well of company leadership and fire safety and suppression system designs, there's only one magazine that, in my opinion, has it all, and that's FE! (Don't get a "big head" Bobby! Just kidding :-) ) Over the years I have left copies of FE laying around fire stations or given them to co-workers whom I believe would value from them, but I have been disappointed for years at how very few members of our department even know about FE, let alone subscribe. I mean, you've only been around 135 years! But, I keep laying them around when I'm finished, so I'm sure someone will pick them up and read. Keep up the good work!!

At 11:26pm on April 22nd, 2008, Phil Reynolds said…: I read Fire Engineering because you discuss techniques and methods of doing my job better.
All of the trade mags have some articles on being better firefighters, but none of the other magazines seem to place as much emphasis on making me a better firefighter as Fire Engineering does.

At 8:08am on April 23rd, 2008, Chris Mc Loone said…: Fire Engineering's articles are authored by the best of the best in the fire service. Career, volunteer, or combination, every article in Fire Engineering provides practical lessons for ANY firefighter to bring back to the department and begin to implement straight away. I read Fire Engineering because it gives me the tools I need to be a better fire officer, better firefighter, and to better represent the fire service to the community I serve.

At 8:45am on April 23rd, 2008, William Meinert said…: I read Fire Engineering because I never know when something I read may enable myself or someone else to go home in the morning.

At 11:14pm on April 23rd, 2008, Eric Hankins said…: Chief,

I read FE along with several other trade magazines each month. I like Fire Engineering for the great training topics it presents. The articles are always well written and informative. The more information we can learn and pass along the better.

At 11:29pm on April 23rd, 2008, Todd McKee said…: Chief:
I read FE because I always learn something every time I pick up a issue. Great mag for the serious guys who want to train and learn.

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Posted April 21st, 2008 2:40pm by:

Bobby Halton

Comments: 25
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