Marketing & Communications
Telling the fire service story: marketing, social media and public safety communications.
Help Fund “Bridging the Gap Between Professional Psychology and the Fire Service”
By. Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer In my “2nd fire service career I’ve found a place with the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) where I’m currently…
LinkedIn in 2025: Beyond the Basics, Toward Strategic Influence
In the past, many folks have asked me “What’s your purpose for getting on LinkedIn?” That’s still the right question—but the answers have evolved. Today, LinkedIn…
Digital Networking in 2025: More Than Just a Profile
What does “digital networking” really mean today? I won’t pretend I’m a guru (though I did once survive a conference hotel breakfast buffet). What I do…
Yes, Virginia, Girls Can Grow Up to Be Firefighters!
Why not introduce the young girls in your life to Ember and Molly this holiday season as a gift that shows them girls can grow up to be anything, especially a firefighter!
National Fire Prevention Week 2020: 8+ weeks and counting
National Fire Prevention Week for 2020 begins October 4th and continues through October 10th. And it’s going to be much…
3 Cheers for Our Public Safety Telecommunicators!
The Public Safety Telecommunicators who answer the 911 calls (911, do you have a police, fire or medical emergency?) in our communities are like the smoke detectors in our homes: we don’t think about them, but when they’re needed…they’re needed. The PST is the critical communications link between those who need help (the person who calls 911) and those who can render help (law enforcement, fire, or EMS).
Who’s training your newest people?
And West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and most West Virginians were not thrilled either. Three weeks after Gov. Justice ordered an investigation by the director of the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety (DMAPS), he announced that all 34 correctional officer cadets from the class and three academy staff members would be fired, and four instructors suspended without pay.
What really happened in this 911 Center?
Most 911 centers in the U.S. are chronically underfunded and understaffed. The former means that centers often don't have enough authorized positions for the workload and/or they can't afford to pay employees a salary that commensurate with the job and its responsibilities; while the latter forces employees to work involuntary overtime.
When Job Applications Leave You Speechless
As a PSAP [Public Safety Answering Point] manager one of the BIGGEST responsibilities is hiring and on-boarding new employees. Let's face it, this profession is one where the doors are constantly swinging open with turnover. It's easy to blame the management team, but the issues with retention in PSAPs are much more rooted than what's on the surface of workplace relationships.
Reducing Organizational Risk in Your Fire and EMS Department
Firefighters and officers behaving badly. There are probably hundreds of causative factors at work, and while I'm not a trained sociologist by trade, I'm going to discuss a couple that really stand out in my mind: the use of social media and "helicopter parenting".
Hurricane Harvey: Another Hurricane, Another SNAFU
Once again, we’re seeing massive numbers of people being rescued from neck-high-deep water, from the rooftops of homes, and tens of thousands of people being housed in emergency shelters. And yet again, we’ve seen what happens when state and local governments send ambiguous and conflicting messages to the general public regarding emergency evacuations.
Fire Departments and Transparency
More importantly, isn’t it time that they truly know how important it is for them to practice fire safety behaviors in their homes and businesses? Maybe then they’d have a greater appreciation for having working smoke detectors, complying with building and fire codes, and supporting residential sprinkler systems for new residential construction.