firefighting videos and podcasts
the internet has provided us with a vast network to connect with each other and the public in our communities and beyond. sites like youtube have become a huge collection of videos from all over the world, and firefighters are getting in on it too. we are a proud group and have long enjoyed making videos and taking pictures of the work we do. before sites like this, it was harder to share this content with others. this is no longer the case, as posting videos online is a point and click operation.
let’s start with youtube, the largest online video sharing site on the internet. a quick search for firefighting produces thousands of videos from all over the world. these videos range from promotional recruitment tools, training evolutions, actual emergencies and even some very real close calls. the amount of content is already massive and it is growing every day. many firefighters, tech-savvy or not, spend time watching these videos. but what does it take to create one of your own? a camera, some (free) video editing software and a little bit of time to put it all together. for editing, microsoft offers the easy to use windows movie maker for free. once you have your video completed, youtube offers a help center that can guide you through getting your videos online.
another bit of technology that is starting to show up around the fire service is podcasting. firehouse magazine offers some of the best fire service podcasts, covering several different topics. chief billy goldfedder hosts through the smoke, a very informative show that talks about many important topics in the world of firefighting. a recent episode even featured dave statter from statter911 and bill schumm from firegeezer. if you are not already, head over to radio@firehouse.com and listen to the program.
it will only be a matter of time before fire departments and ems services begin realizing the added benefits of these types of technologies. new videos and podcasts will be created, not just by big organizations and departments, but by individuals and smaller departments too. i fully expect the amount of video and podcasting content to increase rapidly as time goes on.
blogging with fire
a great deal of sites exist to provide information and content on a specific subject. a few of these sites, often called blogs because of the format that they are in, a tailored toward the fire service. a few examples are vent enter search, firegeezer and stater911. all of these sites provide new and important content that is updated daily. these types of sites and how they function is an extremely important advancement for firefighters. the internet as a source of training is quickly growing and these types of sites allow us to reach out to our brothers and sisters across the world and provide them with tips, tactics and problems we encounter in the streets every day.
a few fire agencies themselves are getting on board with blogging. the los angeles fire department is using a blog and many other modern (or web 2.0) tools to reach their customers (read more about the lafd and their use of technology). fire departments who do not currently have a presence on the internet can use tools like this to quickly begin publishing information to the web. investing in this type of technology comes at a very affordable price: free. sites like blogger and wordpress offer free services that are easy to setup and work with. getting information out to the public is not the only use of a blog. department leaders can use a blog to provide information to the members and fire fighters of their department. a blog can provide a unique and effective way to communicate changes and important information in a more timely manner with little to no technology training.
stay tunned for next week when we will talk about online videos and podcasts.
technology and the fire service
its hard to imagine that any organization is not somehow affected by the vast amount of technology available today. businesses around the world are instantly connected to one another and have high tech, powerful tools at their fingertips. it has been my impression that the fire service, by and large, has been slow to embrace this idea and the power that it affords us. understandably, many firefighters are a tough-as-nails breed that would rather spend their days running calls or training for the next big fire than taking the time to learn technology and how to apply it to their trade. however, recently this trend has started to change. we are starting to see how technology can not only improve our safety on the fireground, but also help better train and educate us when we are not.
online advancements like videos and podcasts have opened the doors to a whole new way of connecting with our brothers and sisters around the world. it’s hard to grasp the idea that something posted on myspace or youtube can end up being viewed by hundreds or thousands of people. but this is the reality of our high tech world and this blog is devoted to helping discover that technology and how to use it in the fire service.