I mentioned in my post yesterday that we have had three structural fires over the past couple of weeks in my hometown of Smithtown, NY. Every fire was different with its own unique set of challenges and tactics of attach. Although all the fires were different there was one common denominator near the fireground.

Each time there is a working fire an assortment of sketchy, slimy, shadowy characters appears near the fireground. Some carry business cards, some clipboards, some notebooks others camera or the obvious “costume” they put on to look like a member of the community concerned about their neighbors house burning to the ground.

These parasites are shyster ambulance chasing lawyers, substandard unlicensed construction contractors,  charlatans who will board up the property and do overhaul for pennies and other equally despicable non humans looking to swoop in and make a quick buck on someone else’s misfortune.

As PIO’s we are not exempt from being contacted by these skuz balls. Two incidents have transpired over the last few years to show that it is alright to properly vet a “journalist” before you speak to them.

Just off the fireground during a fire a few weeks ago I was informed by the police that a “reporter” wanted to talk to me. I went up to this weasel who told me he was a freelance reporter and wanted information on the fire and how it might have started. I asked him who he freelanced for and he was evasive, I asked him for a business card and he did not have one, I asked him who he wrote for in the past and had a memory lapse.

Obviously I sent him packing with the additional information that if he comes to a fire scene again I will let him interview the police. He got my message.

A few years ago I received a call from a “journalist” who was writing a freelance piece on the history of Smithtown. Unusual that his historic master work only wanted to focus in on a century old house, how it burnt down and if I had any additional information on the circumstances. This in depth journalist was sent to the Fire Marshals office. I hope he is OK; he mysteriously disappeared after I told him to speak to the Fire Marshal. Gee, I worry about him every night.

The lesson for us as PIOs is that we have every right to vet alleged journalists and delve into their credentials before consenting to speak to them. No one every said that a reporter or journalist has a free ride and is not subject to our scrutiny before we are interviewed by them.

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I have tremendous admiration for GEN Stanley McChrystal. I respect his dedication to attain victory, his strategic objectives and his pursuit to get the assets this country needs in the Afghan theater to get the job done.

Through some of my past posts, referring to President Obama’s crisis leadership, you may sense that I am less then enamored of his decision making process. Yet in the McChrystal-Obama dispute I have to lean towards the Presidents side in this one.

The lifeblood of the volunteer fire service is the adherence to the chain of command. If a Captain is badmouthing or second guessing the Chief, the chain is snapped and chaos ensues.  Lack of response to direct orders or discrediting the Chief to members of the Department has never resulted in a positive outcome. It can only lead to internal firehouse strife and ineffective operations on the fireground.

The embedding of a reporter and giving him direct access and “fly on the wall” status to the daily operations of McChrystal’s Afghanistan command seems bizarre to say the least. I can’t imagine any Public Affairs Officer in the US Army thinking that this was a good media opportunity. This was like shooting fish in a barrel for Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings. I’m sure the word “off the record” was mentioned to Hastings many time, but as we know “off the record” oft means you’re now “on the record.”

Knowing firsthand the amount of red tape involved in getting approval and permission to cover a story involving the Army leads me to believe that this one went directly to McChrystal’s desk for his personal approval and not through the general PAO chain of command.

A typical Rolling Stone comment in Hastings article is this one attributed to McChrystal, on his computer and seeing  an e-mail message from Richard Holbrooke, the State Department’s special representative for Afghanistan: “Oh, no, not another email from Holbrooke. I don’t even want to open it.” It’s something we have probably uttered many times on the job, but not to a reporter trolling for juicy material.

Nobody has to say stupid things in the presence of reporters. Nobody forced one of McChrystal aides to call Jim Jones, the national security adviser, a “clown,” or a top staff adviser to mock Vice President Joe Biden with the nickname “Bite Me.”

McChrystal and the PAO staff just can’t be that dumb. Maybe the whole thing was conceived to send a message to the administration, for all the public to see, that things are not going well on the front and the White House is floundering and not getting the job done.

If this is the case it sets a dangerous precedent never before seen in this country – a General in the military directly challenging the policy of the President in a public forum, perhaps looking for the support of the American people to move to his side.

I know it won’t happen here, but in many countries this is known as the start of a Junta.

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I end the week with a pretty cool video that hopefully will inspire you as a PIO to try just a little bit harder and go just a little bit further.

We all learned during our Firefighter I that when water converts from liquid to vapor at 212°F, it expands 1,700 times its volume. Water can only be as hot as 212ºF, but steam reaches thousands of degrees in temperature, which can not only be potentially fatal to us but also very uncomfortable and often the cause of serious injury. That one degree difference should always be on our mind when it comes to ventilation tactics and nozzle choice.

That one extra degree to steam can make a world of difference in how we react on the fireground and the potential outcome.

We can also turn that one degree from a firefighter negative to a daily world positive.

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Towards the top of my “to do” list is a push to increase the number of generic photos in my files. Generic shots would include all of our apparatus, photos of Chiefs, training and fireground shots etc.

As any editor will tell you, a release with a photo has a much higher chance of being used and could elevate your story from a few column centimeters on an inside page to a more prominent position and possibly the front page. This just happened to a story about a member in my department.

I’m fortunate that we had our 100^th anniversary a few years back so I have fairly current head shot photos of most of our members and apparatus. I felt like a genius a few weeks back when a local editor asked if I had a member’s headshot for a story he was writing about a potential EMS award the member was eligible for, and I was able to produce the picture immediately. The story with the photo did indeed get front page status.

A community newspaper editor who recently spoke at a PR breakfast I attended made the following recommendations. They are not specific to the fire service but still relevant to our own work as PIO’s -

1. As an absolute minimum, you should ensure that you have headshots of all people mentioned in your press releases and spokespeople representing your organization, before you are asked for them by a journalist. Avoid white background studio shots.

2. If you are ‘telling a story’ in your press release, make sure the photo also tells the (same) story. Ensure it has enough impact to immediately grab the attention of first the editor and second the reader.

3. Supplying a feature picture instead of a simple headshot is the biggest single thing you can do to bring your story to the top of the pile. Sometimes the most mundane story can be published as the lead story on the page thanks to a superb photo. This is known as a picture led story.

4. Have some generic shots taken that represent your business and industry sector. Both internal and exterior shots should be produced showing your business at work. Sometimes having these generic shots available when a picture editor is looking for a photo to go with an existing story can result in your organization being asked to comment. (Make sure you are told what the basis of the story is before making the pictures available).

5. Make sure all your photos meet the media photo specs so you they can easily be sent by email and will not overload the mailbox of the journalist you are sending them to.

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Talk about timing. Just yesterday morning I posted about the three quick decisions I have to make as a firefighter/PIO when I arrive at a scene. They were, perform the duties of a firefighter if manpower is lacking, perform my normal duties as the PIO, or watch to see the scene unfold to determine where I can best serve. I also mentioned that I occasionally go behind the lines to interact with bystanders. Little did I know that just a few hours later I would have to use all three options when we were toned out to a fully involved house fire.

The early afternoon fire was ripping when we got their, so an interior attack was impossible. We went the defensive route with a surround and drown. The air temperature was around 80 with decent humidity so some of our guys were getting beat up pretty good.

My order of duties –

Arrived on the scene with Engine 1. Surveyed the situation. Manpower was fresh and adequate so I reported to command and started to take scene photos.

It was a little difficult moving charged deuce and a half’s around the property, so I dropped my camera and started to help move hose.

Saw a photographer/reporter from Newsday, the major Long Island newspaper pull up. I asked if I could leave the line backup and talk to the photographer. I went up to the reporter, gave him a scene overview, and discussed the perimeters from where he could shoot. I work with this photographer often and know that he always follows my instructions, so I was able to walk away with no trepidations.

I returned to taking photos at the corner 3-4 exposure of the structure, when I noticed that some of the guys on a hose line were getting beat up. I told the officer at the line that I could replace one of the guys.

The line changed hands when some fresh guys arrived.  

I got a message from command to report. I was told another photographer was looking for me. When I found him he acted like he was my long lost brother. I didn’t recognize him; he produced no credential or legitimate outlet he was shooting for, so I asked him to kindly leave the fireground.

A firefighter approached me and asked if I would speak to the homeowner. The owner wanted to know where we stood in the operation and if he could speak to a Chief. I filled him in and told him I would introduce him to the Chief for a briefing as soon as the scene was secure.

The fire was under control and overhaul was underway. I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together so I could formulate a press release and web posting when I returned to the Main House.

Most of the guys on scene were justifiably dragging at this point, so I worked with a couple of guys to start collecting tool and SCBA left around the site.

I was called to command to talk to some neighbors who had a question.

I returned to tool recovery. When that was done I helped to break down hose line.

I got a cell phone call from the Suffolk County Police Department PAO asking if I needed any assistance.

I went back and helped pack hose.

We left the scene and headed back to the Main. I went to my desk to write a release, sort photos and do a web posting.

As a PS, overnight we had a car fire where I served as the Engine officer. It was a pretty spectacular fire. I was directing the hose line when one of the guys asked where my camera was! He was serious. The life of a firefighter/PIO!

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When we arrive at a scene I traditionally have to make one of three quick decisions –perform the duties of a firefighter if manpower is lacking, perform my normal duties as the PIO, or watch to see the scene unfold to determine where I can best serve. In a volunteer department all bets are off relating to PIO responsibilities when we are short handed on the fireground.

 There are many times I am at the scene of a fire with sufficient manpower and no press on site where I opt for the third choice and go behind the lines to interact with bystanders. I do this for several reasons –

 Interaction – I think it is important that a human face is placed on the department. When I cross the yellow lines citizens are appreciative that I am filling them in about the incident that is taking place on their block. Obviously, I only release information for public consumption, but nevertheless it is always appreciated. Neighborhood angst exists when residents are totally in the dark about what is happening and why.

Information Gathering – Many times bystanders have significant information that could help give us a quick snapshot as to how the incident unfolded and what they saw prior to our arrival. Obviously the Chiefs are in fireground incident command mode, the police have their hands full trying to get things into perspective or interview victims, so an extra set of eyes and ears is helpful to relay information to appropriate parties in real time.

Compassion – I usually try to sort out who the civilian victims are in an incident. I introduce myself, give them a business card, tell them they can talk to a Chief as soon at the scene is secure and act as a go between to inform officers of personal property or mementos that a citizen might need to retrieve from the scene. I also try to inform victims, within reason, what is taking place on the fireground and why. Venting, smashing glass, taking walls down, and general fire fighting dynamics are obviously alien to distressed homeowners who don’t understand why we are creating additional perceived damage to their home or property.

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A fire incident in my own town, created serious circumstances that could have easily become deadly serious. While we strive to be as transparent as we can with the public, it is also the responsibility of citizens to be transparent with us, especially when potentially deadly conditions exist on the fireground.

 Yesterday we responded to a working garage fire. Our units confronted a structure with heavy black smoke showing. The homeowner, a retired New York City firefighter no less, told us a vintage car was on fire in the garage. A virtual hands and knees attack was needed to knock down the blaze.

 The horrifying part of this incident is that when the smoke literally cleared and overhaul began, we realized that the garage was being used as the resident’s personal repair and restoration shop.

The homeowner failed to mention to us that the car in question was on a hydraulic lift and the shop was filled with pressurized gas cylinders and a large amount of oil, gasoline and other hazardous materials.

 I leave it up to your imagination to think of the scenarios that could have taken place.

 Unfortunately we see this lack of transparency by some citizens over and over again. I’ve been to car fires where after the fact we have found cylinders of propane on the back seat, MVA’s with vehicles containing hazardous materials, house fires with illegal occupancy construction that creates a virtual maze, without a peep from the homeowner or driver while the incident is unfolding.

 Is it better to hide their little secrets or see responders dead at the scene?

 Illogical!!

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The critical eye of the electronic media will view us in greater real time as more and more outlets start using the LiveU system. The system bridges the bandwidth gap needed for live video transmission by “bonding” together multiple cell phone circuits, and according to many news outlets, could substantially reduce the cost of newsgathering and increase their amount of live coverage at breaking scenes.

While the LiveU system doesn’t guarantee a fixed or minimum amount of transmission bandwidth, users  report that they have been generally obtaining between 1.2 Mbps and 1.5 Mbps, with sometimes a dip below this. Such bit streams won’t bring back HD images, but there is sufficient bandwidth for delivery of breaking stories to the newsroom without the delay involved in dispatching an ENG truck and having its operator line up microwave dishes or boresight a satellite connection. Another plus is that there are no spectrum management issues.

I have seen the LiveU unit in action in Las Vegas. The camera operator and crew were weaving effortlessly across the floor of a major trade show broadcasting live with no cables or additional bulky equipment. I have not seen the LiveU employed at a local fire scene yet.

The LiveU units will also open the door to more websites that will be able to now afford live streaming coverage from a breaking story. Also look for the LiveU and its web based competitors to get into the hands of more and more freelancers and stringers because of its affordable price.

Currently a 1 Mbps uplink (internet video quality) will cost around $1500 a month with a mandatory one year contract ($18k total). 2 Mbps (broadcast TV quality) costs around $2500 a month ($30k/year). For those prices the media outlet gets a LU-30 transmitter and 30 hours of connectivity per month. Compare this to a full blown satellite truck at approximately $3,000 per day and you see the value.

Another piece of new media technology that can produce the good, bad and potential ugly for our Public Information Offices

Look for the increased use of LiveU at a fire ground near you.

LiveU Overview from a camera operator during a California wildfire.

Demo video of another system called Livestream, more geared towards web applications, that shows the quality.

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