"Are You Kidding Me!? You Want Me to Do What?"

Firefighter Health Initiative 2016

Do You Have the "Guts" To Do It?

As firefighters, a lot of folks look at us with a special eye; they often see us a heroes. Most of the time, like the gentle folks that we are, we brush it off saying, "Thanks, but I was just doing my job." However, some of us, actually see our selves as heroes. Big, strong, brawny men; tall, strong and fit women, who climb any ladder, hold onto a powerful and wild firehose and other feats of great prowess. There's almost nothing we won't do. Except one.

We hesitate and often refuse, to take care of ourselves.

Thanks to so many of our great fire service leaders and many of our fire-related organizations, some of us are beginning to not only hear, but listen to their message. Just as we are not impervious to injuries and even death from flames, from smoke and from falls, we are not impervious to the most insidious disease that wreaks it terror on man and animal alike: CANCER. And it doesn't discriminate whether you're career, volunteer or on-call, neither does it matter if you're still on the job or retired.

As of late, there has been a good push for those of us still active on the job, to be more aware of what our PPE looks like. We all remember the each time in our careers that we received brand new PPE, clean beige, clean black, clean mustard-yellow, clean white. Not anymore. It's dirty, grimy, smoky, covered in all types of burnt residual material that very likely contains numerous carcinogens. 

All too often, we've used our dirty, grimy, filthy PPE as a badge of courage. We can no longer afford to do that. We must make a real effort to create a set schedule for making sure that our PPE is cleaned to the standards set by both fire and health officials. Good, but that's just one step. 

Here's another. Although the American Cancer Society recommends that both men and women have their first colonoscopy at age 50, it might do us well to realize that our chances of developing cancer are greater as firefighters as are those of "Joe," the barber or "Nancy" the owner of five pack & ship centers. No one can deny that even with our PPE, we still average a higher exposure rate to carcinogenic material that our "friends" mentioned above. And with that in mind, we never know what type of cancer we may be diagnosed with. Just one quick review of our dearly departed brothers and sisters who worked on the 9|11 pile and the vast array of cancers that they suffered, should be enough of an incentive for us to be proactive.

I'm not a doctor. But I will tell you to speak with either your fire surgeon or your personal physician and ask him/her what their opinion is regarding when to have your first baseline colonoscopy. And let's not forget that the dangers are not just from our jobs, but from all the crap in our food, water and environment. Sure, everybody is exposed to that, but we have that extra exposure from our work. Put them together and you'll start playing, "Go to the head of the class!"

I've been off the "active" job since 1985. That was pre-AIDS, pre-BioHazards, pre-gloving & masking, etc. However, since my late father worked for major supermarket chain up north and was a former meat cutter, we ate steak every Monday night, meatloaf every Wednesday. On the weekends, we had plenty of eggs, white bread and real butter; not to mention real ice cream (frozen yogurt?) So, I was concerned when I had to go for my test.

I was concerned for what might be found, I was concerned about the "horrible, painful" ordeal I was about to go through. But you know what, it was all hype! That's right, there was no pain, no discomfort. The cleansing plan was relatively easy to follow and no, I wasn't running to the head every 10 minutes!! 

And when I went in for the test, your put under with what is called, "MAC" anesthesia, which stands for Monitored Anesthesia Care, otherwise knows as "twilight sleep." It's a very light sedation. You have no idea of what's being done. Best of all, you wake up clear-headed and bright, if if you have a great nurse like we did, she'll yell, "You wanna go home" Fart for me! As soon as I hear you pass gas, you're out of here. So start farting!"

Listen, what we do is dangerous enough. We've know that from day one. And it didn't stop us. We joined up anyway. But you can't shirk your responsibility to your family and loved ones, as well as your comrades and your job. Just do it!

BTW - one small favor: If you haven't made it over to Amazon Studios to help support our effort to get a really great show about the fire service on TV, please do. We really need your support. It doesn't cost a penny. It takes just a few minutes of your time. 

Just head back to the list of posts on this blog and find the one with the instructions on how to give us your support. 

Till next time...

Stay Safe and Every One Goes Home!

 

 

Seperation Anxiety??

A strange title for a blog about firefighting, eh? Read on and let's see if some of you will know what I'm talking about.

First though, we do need to give you a reminder to please visit our Amazon Studios Profile Page. There, you can read all about us and the show and most importantly, leave your comments and a 1-to-5 star rating. Your comments can make the difference if Amazon will pick up the show! Thanks!

"Now, back to our program..." 

I've been out of active firefighting since 1985, after starting in 1977. That means that I've been out for a long, long time. I left for two reasons:

1. My injured knee (after three surgeries since 1978 at that time) prevented me from being on the front line. I was "reduced" to handling video for the department on drills and calls, a town Fire Marshall and a member of our Fire-Police unit. I truly enjoyed all three!

2. We were relocating to South Florida in the City of Hollywood, which has a career department. There were still a few volunteer departments, but none of them close enough for me to be an active member of any type. 

At the start, it wasn't too bad. We had never lived in Florida before and I was in a new job. The first few months kept me busy and focused, though maybe not one hundred percent.  You see, I was still keeping a BLS jump kit in my car, just as I had for the previous eight years. And for some reason, I wound up showing up at a bad scene right on time and was able to render emergency care until first responders arrived. And after a few months, when life had settled down, I started missing the "Red Devil."

I've often used (or overused) the old saying, "You can take the boy out of the firehouse, but you can't take the firehouse out of the boy!" And I use it because it's true for a lot of us. I miss being a firefighter, being an EMT, being a first responder. I miss the camaraderie, the joking around, the practice, the learning and the excitement of the response. 

If you're still young and active, skip this next paragraph! If not...read on!

Now, you....yes YOU! Get up and walk over to the nearest mirror. Look at the person in the mirror. Watch carefully as he/she looks back at you. Now ask the image, "Do I miss the old days or have I put it all behind me?" So, what was the answer? I know what it was and what it will continue to be. The answer is, "Yes!" 

What to do about it, is the next question. I can't answer that for you, but I can tell you what I've done. And when you finish reading this post, go back through this blog and read the earlier posts. I, along with my best friend (whom I had met at the first fire department where we volunteered in NC) decided the fire service deserved to be on television. We started our company, Dalmatian Productions, Inc., with but one aim, to create a reality show about America's Heroes: The Men & Women of Fire/Rescue. Catchy phrase, huh? Good. That was actually the name of our first show. Along with our two additional partners, Tom and Jesse, we've all kept this goal in mind ever since then. And though we've had to let go of the "reality" aspect, we're still working hard to bring a fire show, a damned good fire show to TV.

But that's not all I've done to "feed the beast." For example, in every city I visit I attempt to visit at least one firehouse. I stop in, say hello and chew the fat for a short while. It brings back the good feelings. I feel like "one of the gang" again. 

And to really drive the stake in deep, I did something much worse, I wrote a book about my first four years in fire-rescue. I'm basically finished with the writing and now in the process of editing. I've included a lot of the experiences I had there, the good calls, the ones that sucked, the dangerous calls and the fun times in the firehouse. 

The funny thing about editing what you've written is that your forced to re-read it over and over again, correcting errors, adding missing words.....and reliving all the stories all over again. And again. And again.

And it's through this exercise that I've come to the conclusion that there's absolutely nothing wrong with how I feel....with how you feel, if you're in the same position I've been in. You know, we're very lucky to have done what we did and what we loved. 

Stay Safe and Remember, Every One Goes Home!

 

 

The Steps to Help Get "CAUSE & ORIGIN" On Amazon!

This is the procedure to get to Amazon Studios to help promote "CAUSE & ORIGIN" as a TV show through Amazon:
(p.s. If you don't have an Amazon ID, you can register for one absolutely free on the Studios' home page! Thanks)

Here’s how to get to the site:

1. Click on this address: http://studios.amazon.com
2. Log in using your normal Amazon account credentials.
3. Click on the “magnifying glass” icon on the top right corner of the page.
4. When the search box opens, type in, “Cause & Origin”
5. It will appear in the search box as, “Cause & Origin” Steven’s Project – SELECT THAT!
6. It will bring you to our (my) page. Scroll down and you’ll find the “Creative Notes” and the “Logline,” which is a brief description.
7. To read the script, click on the initials, “PDF” next to a blue & white button that says, “ADD COVER IMAGE.”
8. When you’re done, it will bring you back to the main page and you can vote the number of stars and leave comments. You can also choose to follow our developments by clicking on the “Follow” icon.
9. Thank You Very Much!

 

The Little Snowball Keeps Rolling and Growing and Growing....

We are very happy with all of you who are logging on to the Amazon Studios website and logging in to read the details, write comments and rate the show on the 5-Star system. Just want to add a couple of important points:

1. When you log in and reach our page, "CAUSE & ORIGIN," please select, "FOLLOW," that will keep you updated on our progress. PLUS, Amazon uses the number of Followers in the consideration of the project.

2. Please don't forget to RATE THE SHOW using the 5-STAR system on the page!!

3. Please pass on the story, my email, the instructions to all of your social media contacts, family, friends, etc. 

4. If you're a "Brother/Sister" of the fire-rescue service, EMT, Paramedic or LEO, please, please share this with your crew, partners, station, department, etc. We need THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of Followers and comments to sway Amazon!

5. Thank you so very much. May you be blessed with good health, prosperity and safety.

p.s. Did you know you can follow us here, too? Just select "Follow" after you read a post!

More Details from the "AMAZON" WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

Yes, last night's post was "quick and dirty," as it was imperative we get the word out. We had overnight to think it out and here's the information in a more "professional" manner:

We are very proud to announce that we have submitted the pilot script for "CAUSE & ORIGIN," to Amazon Studios. As many of you may know, Amazon, along with other Internet streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, have begun producing their own series and movies. 

If you have any kind of Amazon account, you can go to the website, http://studios.amazon.com and log in. Then, use the search tool and list the shows alphabetically. You'll find us in there. 

Your help is CRUCIAL! After you read about the show, you can choose to "Follow" us (VERY IMPORTANT) and leave comments on the script (ALSO VERY IMPORTANT). These details are very important to Amazon Studios and are factored in to their decision process if they might pick up the show or not.

Please, spread the word and tell your friends, relatives, Twitter, Intstagram, Pinterest and others to visit our show on Amazon Studios! We sincerely appreciate your support!

"CAUSE & ORIGIN" - Your Chance!

Our Story is Out There

We are proud to announce that we have submitted our new TV show, "CAUSE & ORIGIN" to Amazon Studios.While the execs at Amazon look it over to see if it is a project that interests them, YOU CAN HELP US!

Anyone with an Amazon account (your regular account is fine, you don't have to create a "studios" account.) can log in, read all about us, the show and....the entire pilot script! That's right! The entire story about our fictional, third-generation Philadelphia Fire Department "truckee," is now available for you to read and leave comments!

Do you know what that means? That your support just might convince the folks at Amazon that this show should be on TV or via streaming. The more they hear positive reactions from thousands of firefighters, EMT's, paramedics, LEO's, etc. the better chance we will have to have the show picked up. 

So, please - drop by, read to your heart's delight and then tell Amazon (and us!) what you think about our show. 

From all of us, thanks for your interest and support and Stay Safe!

"Making Peanuts the New Normal"

Welcome back and we hope you and yours celebrated a wonderful and safe holiday season.
If you're a gadget or electronics guru, then you know this was the "week of wonder" at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. All type of new and innovative gadgets were on display, from smart watches to a drone large enough to actually fly one person (up to 275 lbs, I think) on pre-programmed flight! Delivering my Amazon order is one thing, but I'm not sure I want the person who processed my order to arrive with it!

However, the CES also marks another important time. This week is when business in Hollywood will start returning to normal. Though, we'll still have to wait until Monday as everyone is too concerned with Sunday night's "Golden Globes Awards" show to think of mundane business.

The beginning of the new year should be a bright signal to all of us to look to ourselves and what we can and will do to make this new year better than the past one. As I titled this post, "Nothing is the new normal!" Too many people are satisfied with what was, whether it was good, bad or somewhere in between. They postulate, "If it was good enough for me last year, it should be good enough for me now!" Now, where would be at this moment, if everyone held that same thought?

I for one, do not believe it's true. While it's true that there are many factors within our various environments that we cannot control, there are still plenty that we can. And the very first one starts with ourselves. 

We must ask our self, "What can I do, see, learn, experience, etc. that will help me improve my life? Do I need to do it at home? At work? Socially?" My view it is all of the above.

Just because we graduated high school, college, graduate school, accreditation for this or that, it does not mean that we have stopped learning or that we can afford to stop learning. We must strive to learn every day. We must strive to be a better person every day. We must strive to reach out and help someone every day. We must strive to be a better father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, etc. 

If we do not do this we become stagnant and stale like moldy old bread and what good is moldy old bread? 

So, take a look in the mirror and ask the person you see what he/she suggests as a starting point to improving you and your life and the lives of those around you. And remember one very important fact - the person in the mirror never lies!

Now, back to show business - What I've written above applies to show business as well. If you read any sort of decent TV magazine, i.e. "TVGuide," you'll see a roster of many of the new shows that are coming on, during what's called, "mid-season." That's right about now, where they plug in new shows to replace the ones from this past Fall that failed in ratings. You will be amazed at the crap that networks are planning to out on the air. And that is why we at Dalmatian Productions, Inc. and Cause and Origin Productions, LLC, are working so hard to bring our show to television. But it is a very hard row to hoe! It's not about what you know, rather it's about who you know. You can have the greatest idea for a new TV show, but if you don't have a connection to get it in front of the right person, it will remain just that, an idea.

With Hollywood getting back to business this week, so are we. We are pulling out all the stops, favors, etc. to get "Cause & Origin" in front of the right people. We are very fortunate to see our Twitter accounts soaring, with almost 1,200 followers @DalmatProd and over 300 @CAUSE_ORIGIN. But that doesn't mean we have enough. We don't! As a matter of fact, we're not even close!

We need to generate thousands, even tens of thousands of followers on Twitter. Hollywood is all about numbers. For example, advertisers' prime interest in TV viewers are men and women, ages 18-49, in general. Networks want to have an idea that a new show will attract millions of viewers before they have ever created a pilot! Here's an example:

Several years ago there was an excellent TV show called, "Jericho." It did very well in the ratings for about three years and then the network decided to cancel it. The millions of fans didn't like that idea. So they (and yes, I was one too!) started an online campaign to convince the network to keep the show on, at least long enough to tie up the loose ends of story lines. In one script, the concept of peanuts came up to signify displeasure. With that, fans of the show purchased and shipped to the networks head office in New York City, thousands upon thousands of pounds of peanuts! Each day, multiple shipments of peanuts arrived via the Post Office, UPS, FedEx, couriers, etc. Finally, the network caved and produced an additional seven episodes to close the show.

That's what we need!! NO...NO...Not peanuts! We need that type of support to help us get this show in front of a network, any network from NBC to Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. And that will be generated by increasing our Twitter numbers. We are so blessed that so many fire and rescue departments have followed us. We are also blessed that so many of our career brothers and sisters who belong to a local IAFF lodge, support us. So what's the problem? Each lodge or each department only counts as ONE follower. What we need is every member of the lodge, every member of the department who uses social media, needs to add their voice to support our show. So please, pass the word around. Tell your co-workers about the show. Tell your friends about the show. Ask them to follow us on Twitter, or find us on Facebook (Dalmatian Productions, Inc) and leave a comment. They can also send us an email to info@causeandorigin.tv.

We want to be inundated with Followers the way that network was flooded with peanuts! 

Finally, we close with a solemn salute to our 85 brothers and sisters who answered their final alarm in 2015. They paid the ultimate price to serve their friends, neighbors and communities. We pray that the souls will be bound up in the Bond of Life and that the memories of the love for their families and their dedication to their department will serve as a blessing to all who knew and loved them. May they rest in Peace.