Yeah, Yeah, Yeah..."When Life Gives You Lemons,,,,"

We've all heard it dozens of times, right? From our parents and other family members, former bosses, spouses (or is that spices?) and of course, our closest of friends, who've probably never tasted a lemon in the last ten years because they're too busy drinking their frappa-lappa-miko-apo! And as tired as we are of hearing the phrase, it does have a ring of truth and the Wikis and other online files can deliver plenty of true tales. Sometimes though, you can't jump directly from the lemons to the lemonade; you just have grab the lemon and bag of sugar and move towards the new action. And that is exactly what we (Dalmatian Productions, Inc.) are doing. 

First though, a word of thanks to those of you who read this blog, follow us on Twitter (@Dalmatprod & @CAUSE_ORIGIN) and/or listen to the podcasts. Without your understanding and support, we probably would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. So please, keep it up!

Here's the story - As many of you know, we have working for over 20 years to bring a quality program about our great fire-rescue services to television. First we tried early reality TV; the days of "Rescue-911,"  "On Scene: Emergency Report," and several others. That didn't work.We tried again when "reality" grew up a little bit like, "COPS." That worked - only a little bit and only outside of the U.S. or Canada. 

"What else can we do?" we would repeatedly ask ourselves. Here you had four first responders who only knew about the "real" in reality. We didn't know anything else. That brought us to around ten years ago or so, when I was just browsing the Internet, just to browse, not looking for anything in particular. I found a fire story that I liked, read that and it led to a few more. I was just reading some reports of working fires, rescues, etc. Then, after almost two hours, I came across an article about the Philadelphia Fire Department. This I liked. Why? Because my wife's sister and her family have lived in that area for over 40 years and we had visited often. And during almost every visit, I would visit firehouses all over Montgomery County and the City of Philadelphia. However, in reading this article, I learned something new - the structure of their Fire Investigation Office and how unique it was.

Besides the Fire Marshal, there were some unique investigators in with he mix; a firefighter who had also been trained in investigative and forensic work, a full-time detective with the Philadelphia Police Department, who was assigned to the Fire Investigations Office, an agent from the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms) and his dog, who were assigned to the city and others. 

"WOW!" I thought. "This could be a great show!" Then I reconsidered. They'd never let us do a "ride-along" with them for a reality show. But....what if it wasn't a reality show? What if it was a drama? Initially, I didn't share my idea with my partners. I just tossed it around for a while, writing a page here, a page there.That was the birth of "CAUSE & ORIGIN." (and yes, we understand that today, the more common phrase used is reversed to "origin and cause," but that just does sound as good as our, older version!) Yet, with no leads, we didn't know what to do next.

The rest of the story until now, is history, as they say. We have tried for the last 2-1/2 - 3 years to get this TV show picked up for the production of a pilot episode. But that hasn't happened either.

Thus, about three weeks ago during one of our conference calls, our L.A.-based partner told us interesting news about some of his immediate past work on a movie, some people he had met and some others who had re-entered his life. And he pitched the idea that with no progress on the television front, let's try to produce a feature film-length movie. Whether it played in a theater or through a streaming service, wasn't important. We would do it. 

That is what we announced yesterday. We are going to produce a film about the fire service, by firefighters, hopefully, supported by firefighters, for firefighters and all other interested parties.

Interested? Good! Stay tuned!

Be safe and let's make sure every one goes home!

 

"LUCKY THURSDAY" Has Returned (Even if it came on Wednesday night!)

Thursday - August 6, 2015

Finally, we have some news of a couple of fronts. As some of you know, last evening we held a company conference call, as the partners in Dalmatian are from Florida, Delaware and California. With everyone's schedules it's not always an easy task to do and we managed to have a successful one last night.

STUDIO NEWS - Our L.A.-based partner brought us up-to-date with where the project is floating out there. One excellent contact at one of the larger talent management/production companies, did indeed receive a promotion, in title. He's still awaiting the company to make good on the financial side of his deal. Whether he stays there or moves, the fact is that he loves the show and will take it with him to present to anyone he may get to listen.
In the meantime, our partner and his associate are sending the script to two large and very well-known production companies.  However, as we have come to learn (and as I wrote about recently) those wheels in Hollywood turn very, very slowly. 

COMPANY NEWS - The main reason for our conference call last night was to discuss the possibility of turning to crowd-funding (Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, etc.) to raise funds for us to produce a elongated "trailer." A "trailer" is a preview that you seen online, in commercials on TV and "COMING SOON" previews at the theater. We initially talked about producing a 6-8 minute trailer that would provide the viewer with a few key elements of what the show would be about. 
Our show has been designed to be what's called today a, "limited series." For example, shows like "Under the Dome," "Proof," and "Falling Skies" only air 8-12 episodes for their season. Currently, it is a very popular way for many networks to air programs, they're less expensive that shooting and air a full season of 20-22 episodes. However, right now, we have already drawn up a three-year plan of the direction the stories will go, keeping the main theme and mystery alive throughout.
There's another important point we want to make sure everyone knows about. First, all of us either are, or have been emergency first-responders. We just regular belly-crawling, snot-nosed nozzle-jockeys like everyone else. We're not big Hollywood producers or moguls looking to make a buck off of firefighters.
Two - We are dedicated to show only the best of the fire/rescue service and EMS. If we didn't stick to our guns about that, we could have had several shows on TV already. But we refused. We will never do anything that doesn't show the best of who we are and what we do.
Three - Besides the main theme of the show which is XXXXXXXXXXXXX, we also have several others that are very important to us, i.e., juvenile fire starter education programs, LODD's, the National Fallen Firefighters' Foundation and more. Moreover, we're going to show that sometimes, we make mistakes. Certainly not on purpose, but they happen and how we have to deal with them. Mistakes in our lives, our tactics, our abilities, etc. Also, we'll try to deal with the public's perception of the fire service, what's true and what isn't. 
All of this is part of what we will bring to our show.

THE "HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT" PART - Well gang, this might be the most important part. As I said, we initially were talking about producing a 6-8 minute trailer. After some discussion one of the guys said, "Well, if we can raise enough to produce a trailer, why should we not be able to raise enough to shoot the entire PILOT!!?!?!!?!?!
There was a long pause before everyone chimed in, "You're right!" "Good idea!" "We didn't think of that before!" As it turn out, it was unanimous. We all agreed that instead of just a trailer, we're going to shoot for the whole thing, shoot the pilot for the show. The script is written, which is one-half of the two largest tasks. The second large task? Finding the "scratch" to put it together.
To that end, we've decided to take a long and serious look at crowd-funding. Some of you may have heard that when fans of the former TV show, "Veronica Mars," wanted to see a motion picture to help tie-up all the loose ends that occurred when the series was canceled, they went on KickStarter and in less than a day, they raised over $2 Million!
We would have to set a goal, which two of the guys are working on, that would cover all the costs involved for shooting a 46-minute show. "Forty-six minutes? I thought it was going to be an hour show?"
It is an hour show. Any hour show today is only 46 minutes of programming. The rest is used for commercials and previews. Nevertheless, it will require a significant budget and a great deal of work. 
We also looked at this fact: There are nearly 1,000,000 firefighters in the U.S. and Canada (career, volunteer & on-call). Then add in their spouses, significant others, parents, etc. Now add to that all the EMT's and Paramedics, and Rescue Squad members; then add their families to it. 
If every member of the broadly defined fire-rescue-EMS services donated one dollar ($1.00), we would have over a million dollars!! And that's not even including all the "buffs", the people who belong to CERT programs, and viewers who like firefighters and firefighting quality shows! 
 Now wait! Don't start opening your wallets or writing checks yet! This is not a certainty yet. As I said, two of our guys are going to work to develop a budget and present a strong argument which way we can go. We've scheduled another meeting in two weeks. We'll see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed. Remember, Stay Safe.

The Trauma of Trauma

If you've been reading this blog for a while now, you know that although most of it is dedicated to our efforts to launch our TV program about the fire service, from time-to-time, I also address major issues that are faced by fire-rescue personnel (as well as police and EMT's/Paramedics).

On this quiet, early summer Sunday morning, an important tweet arrived on my phone. It was an excellent article by the "Gainesville Sun" newspaper in Gainesville, FL. Now, as it happens, one of the partners in Dalmatian Productions and by far, my best friend (other than my wife) for the past 38 years, serves the as the Chief Pilot for the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. While he doesn't fly medical calls, we responded to some of our first serious trauma calls as rookies in a combination department near Greensboro NC.

In the article is relates how the same Alachua County Fire-Rescue squad team responded to two horrific MVC's this past week, just several days apart. This is coincidental due to the fact that ACFD firefighters work a 24/48 shift; which is 24 hours on duty, followed by 48 hours off. Thus, the first of these crashes occurred on Monday and the second, on Thursday, when they had returned after Monday's work.

All too often, people see fire-rescue personnel as big, gruff, impersonal "heroes," who don't have emotions. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. I have never met a fellow firefighter who didn't have emotions; who wasn't happy after a saving a life or saving someone's home, as well as sad and hurting after losing a patient or victim. Just look at some of the perceived toughest firefighters in the world in the FDNY, the Fire Department of New York, and watch the news footage that followed the horrors of 9-11.

Back when Rich and I were rookies in NC (though he had some experience riding along with XXX), we were all gung-ho, just like most rookies. It's one thing to put out a fire in a small shed or knock down a truck fire on the interstate. However, when you respond to a hard-impact vehicle collision with traumatic injuries or that has entrapped a deceased occupant, the wind comes out of your sails very quickly!

At first, the adrenaline, which started pumping while the dispatcher is still announcing the call and pumps up even more as your apparatus sails down the streets and highways with red lights spinning and sirens screaming, keeps you going. You may pause for a moment or two to get instructions from your OIC (Officer-in-Charge), assess the situation or grab tools or equipment. However, once your task is done, the patients/victims are removed from the scene and you've begun to clean-up, the adrenaline drains from your system and the reality of what you've just seen and done creeps over you or may hit you full-force! You re-live every movement, every action. Your mind's eye replays the footage as if you're watching it on best and largest HD TV ever made. And the bile starts to crawl up your esophagus.

One late Saturday night, Rich and I and our driver, responded to an MVC with an overturned pickup on fire and the driver trapped. It was probably only a mile from the station, but the chief was screaming for us to get there because of the trapped occupant. We arrived within a couple of minutes and had water flowing within another 30-45 seconds. More firefighters showed up to hook us to a hydrant and another drove our tanker to the scene. 

When we first started knocking down the fire, we could still hear the occupant calling for help. And while I strengthened my stance and held the hose as well as I could while Rich was on the nozzle, my heart was tearing apart. In just another few seconds, he had slipped into unconsciousness and we knocked the fire down enough for our colleagues and the EMS crew to access our patient. We stood there, in the same position, ready with more water. When they removed him and placed him on the gurney, we used our hose to wet down the sheets that covered his badly burned body. When he was finally removed from the scene, we picked up, but in a fashion we never had before. It was like we were moving in slow motion. And the stench of burning flesh covered us.

When we returned to the station, we cleaned the hoses and the truck. When we were done, I hightailed it to the men's locker room and promptly puked my guts up. I tore my turn-out coat off, and stripped off my bunker pants. Every inhaled breath flooded my lungs with the odor of our victim and his burnt flesh. As I came out of the locker room, our driver that night, one of the paid firefighters came up to me. "Is this your first 'roast?'" he asked. I nodded in return. "You'll get over it," he said. "Just suck it up."

This incident occurred in 1978, two years before the term, "PTSD" was recognized by the American Psychiatric Association and then, it was applied to veterans. It wasn't until an American Airlines DC-10 crashed on take-off from Chicago's O'hares Airport in 1985, striking several building and a trailer park, did some realize that first responders who can see death and destruction every day, might suffer from this psychological/psychiatric disability as well.

Since then, many communities have brought in specialists to work with first responders after major traumatic events. And over the years, we have all come to realize that one or two days of talking it over is not going to solve the problem either. Again, we turn to our brothers of the FDNY who worked the piles at the former World Trade Center, in fervent attempts to find survivors, then remnants of victims to bring closure to as many families as possible. And even though they didn't fight flames or perform staircase rescues, many, still today, suffer from horrible effects of PTSD and have been debilitated by them.

It's time that the public understands, (and we must as well) that first responders are not the same as the super heroes of comics, movies and television. We hurt, we suffer and yes, sometimes we cry, when we see the events we are sworn and dedicated to mitigate.