It’s kind of strange. For all the technology I employ on the fire ground – digital SLR camera, Flip HD video recorder, Blackberry for contacting the media, Tweeting and having the media contact me, the one area I lack in is logging the written word with ease.
Currently I still rely on my old reporter’s notebook (often soggy) a pen (often lost or soggy) or notes scrawled on anything I can find that resembles paper to record what I will need to later address the press or write a release.
I noted a few posts back that I am leery of using advanced technology that can break unexpectedly on the fire ground from heat, water, debris and shock.
One area I have been researching is the possibility of purchasing a rugged convertible notebook to use on the fire ground to both record and send information about the incident I am working.
Getac just announced today that its new V200 rugged convertible notebook computer, the world’s most powerful fully rugged convertible notebook to date, coming in at just 6 pounds, will be released in October.
As a volunteer fire department PIO, and not in house based, I have to be prepared to respond from wherever I am in the community when an alarm is toned out. Since my main PIO “toolbox” is located at the main house, I need a fully redundant system that can duplicate some of the items I keep in the firehouse.
