Keeping It Safe Robert Tutterow
We have all heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and that is likely true, in most cases. Photos of our rigs, our fellow firefighters, our stations, and our action shots draw a lot of interest.
These images create an impression to others—both the public and our peers—about our department. By and large, they display the pride we have in our organization and what we do. I would be remiss if I did not mention all the great photos of apparatus found in this magazine every month.
Often, colleagues send me images with statements about the photos, and I typically respond with my reaction. The pictures I receive are occasionally positive, but often, they are of the type that fit the caption of “Can you believe this (expletive excluded)?”
This month’s column was prompted by a photo I received from a friend who was putting together a regional fire conference and expo. He had reached out to area departments to provide images for display to enhance the overall feel of the conference. The picture he forwarded to me had three firefighters wearing their personal protective equipment (PPE) and standing in front of their engine company. One of the firefighters was wearing hip boots! I did not know they were still available. (Maybe they were purchased at a fly fishing store.) Obviously, this photo was not going to be on display at the conference and expo. What message does this send about that firefighter? What does this say about that fire department’s chief? What message does this convey about that department to other fire departments?
When we display our pictures, who is our audience? Are we trying to impress our community or each other? Photos are very valuable tools in messaging to our community. We should want them to be impressed with the assets they have to serve them in their time of need. And, they should be images that might entice others to join, especially in the volunteer ranks. We display pictures on our walls within our stations and, in some cases, the walls of our residences. But, perhaps the most compelling place to display photos is on our department’s Web site.
If you consider your department to be a well-run, well-trained professional department (volunteer, combination, or career), your pictures should reflect that image. The rigs should be well thought out and maintained, the PPE should be clean (unless it is a fire-scene action photo) and well maintained, and the station should be a beacon to the community—well designed and featuring nice landscaping.
Naturally, most of us love to see action photos and most of us naturally critique such images. And, if we are smart, we should scrutinize what pictures we put on our Web sites. Social media images, however, are another story—they are often there to generate clicks rather than to convey a serious message.
I know a retired fire chief who has a great presentation about the use of PPE. He has dozens of PowerPoint® slides that show PPE being improperly worn on the fire scene. I often cringe when I see news reports about a fire in a community I’m familiar with, because the photos often show local firefighters not using their PPE properly. Seeing firefighters in hazardous areas without a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), or with an SCBA but not having the face piece donned, is the most frequent offense I see. Poorly maintained gear, especially helmets, is a close second.
As I wrote in last month’s column, the fire service has a messag